


The Fight for Mankind

by Rowenawarden



Series: The Sparhawke Chronicles [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anime/Manga Fusion, Betrayal, Character Death, Dominant Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family, Fate & Destiny, Freedom, Humanity, Humanity's Strongest, Identity Issues, Kings & Queens, Love, Manga & Anime, Minor Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Minor Mikasa Ackerman/Eren Yeager, Minor Moblit Berner/Hange Zoë, Minor Sasha Blouse/Connie Springer, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Revelations, Rough Sex, Secret Identity, Smut, Soldiers, Story Arc, Titan War, Titans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-02-22 23:55:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 35
Words: 94,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23002423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rowenawarden/pseuds/Rowenawarden
Summary: "However insiginificant we might be, we will fight, we will sacrifice and we will find a way because thats what humans do"The war against the Titans within the walls has begun as mankind unleashes its newest weapon Eren Yaeger. Once again the soldiers of humanity stand on the precipice of history as Aurora and her comrades rise to challenge the injustice the Titan shifters brought to their home, however with every new truth they uncover the more and more it becomes apparent that fate has designs for them all and the freedom they fought for might not be theirs to take.Sequel to The birth of Freedom and Part Two of the Sparhawke Chronicles.(I would suggest you read part one as things will occur in this part that you may not understand without any backstory)
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Sparhawke Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1523615
Comments: 60
Kudos: 142





	1. Preface- Against all Odds

31st October, Year 828 

Darkness had descended upon the upper ward of Shiganshina as Rowan Sparhawke raced through the narrow streets in search of the only man who could help him now.

_Please Arlet... Please be there._

He had known this day would come, he had known from the moment his son had drawn his first breath that they would come for him like they had come for his father before him, it had only been a matter of time, but when Rowan had clawed his way free from the Underground, so many years ago, he had come to hope that maybe he would finally be free, but of course, fate had a different path set out for him to take.

Approaching the house he was looking for, Rowan banged on the door repeatedly until it finally opened to reveal the very man he desperately needed to see and heaved a sigh of relief at meeting his eyes.

"Rowan what in the walls name are you doing here! Do you know what time it is?!" Arlet grumbled as his eyes squinted into the darkness only to narrow once he saw the look of desperation on Rowan's face.

"I need to find Aiden and Aelin now! I know they told where they would be staying until the babe was born, I need you to tell me where they are hiding right now!" Rowan pressed urgently as his mismatched grey and green eyes darted around the streets, making sure no one could overhear them, and Arlet sighed as he shook his head in aggravation.

"Rowan, I promised-"

" _ **They**_ are here, and they know where they are!" Rowan snarled as he grabbed the front of Arlet's shirt, eyes full of panic "I need you to tell me now before it's too late!"

A moment of tense silence passed as Arlet appraised the larger man and knew the distress he was in was genuine and as such Alert knew that what he said must be true, Aelin and Aiden were in danger. Nodding to himself, Arlet disappeared back inside his house, leaving a riled up Rowan alone on the doorstep before returning dressed with his hat and coat with an old _illegal_ rifle by his side.

"I will take you," Arlet stated gruffly as he locked up his front door and began walking away down the street with an incredulous Rowan hot on his heels protesting.

"It's not safe for you! Think of your son-"

"I don't care! She's my niece and I'm all she's got so I'm going and you can either like it or lump it! Now come on!" Arlet snapped before grabbing the larger man's arm and dragging him hastily through Shiganshina towards the lower district by the river all the while praying to God that they wouldn't be too late.

_Hold on Aelin, we're coming._

"Alert wait!" Rowan hissed as he grabbed the older man and pulled him around the corner obscuring them both in the shadows as they watched, meters from the safehouse where Aelin and Aiden were hiding, a small gathering of MP's and a tall man wearing a white banned bowler and long dark coat pass by as they bantered back and forth between themselves. 

"MPs? And who is that with them?" Arlet whispered as he peered after the group as they moved further and further away until they were no longer in view.

"Someone I never thought I would see working with the MPs, not after what he did to them," Rowan muttered to Arlet before he took off towards the safe house only to jerk to a stop as fear settled on his soul.

A single tear fell from his one green eye as he stared at the blood-stained doorway before slowly, as if in a dream, he made his way into the building knowing in his heart he was too late.

_My son...I'm so sorry..._

Furniture was upturned in signs of a struggle, and all the drawers and hiding places had been ransacked in the hopes of making this look like a classical murder robbery, but this was anything but, not that Rowan cared at that moment for all he could see was the bodies of his redhaired son and his heavily pregnant wife lying on the floor in a gruesome display, their blood pooling around them from their slashed throats.

_I should have come sooner..._

Feet moving one in front of the other, Rowan stumbled his way over to his boy's body before collapsing on his knees and pulling the still-warm corpse of his only child into his arms as the tears fell freely from his eyes. All hope was lost as he stared down into his son's unseeing grey and green eyes, so like his own, as the memories of his father, mother and sister filtered into his mind.

_They had died like this too... I'm doomed to outlive everyone I love... all because of the blood I bear._

"Aiden... my boy... I failed you" Rowan sobbed hard as an age-old pain took root in his heart and closing his son's eyes, he lamented the loss of all that he could have been. He had only been 21, a smart, kind and generous young man with his entire life ahead of him, the life he had planned with his beautiful wife Aelin.

_And his child... my grandchild..._

"Oh, Aelin..." Alert cried as he too knelt before his niece only to suddenly gasp in shock as his eyes zeroed in on her torso before he began ripping at her dress and exposing her swollen stomach.

"What are you doing?!" Rowan demanded in anger, his eyes wide with horror as he stared at Arlet like he had lost his mind.

"Rowan, her stomach is moving!" Arlet exclaimed as he pointed to Aelin's stomach and true to his word, the flesh stretched and rose before falling still again. Hope bloomed inside Rowan's chest as he hastily lay down his son's body and crawled over the blood-soaked floorboards to the dead woman before fumbling at his side to withdraw his blade from its sheath and press it to the base of Aelin's stomach.

"Rowan stop!" Arlet cried as he grasped Rowan's arm as the blade began to pierce the Aelin's flesh.

"The child is still alive, would you rather I let it die?" Rowan argued as he turned his eyes towards Arlet with a wild edge, he knew what had to be done, and though he would hate himself for defiling Aelin's body, he knew that had she been alive she would have demanded he do the exact same thing. Save her child.

"There has to be-"

"There isn't time! I will do what has to be done, but I need to do it now, or the last part of Aelin and Aiden will die here with them!" Rowan urged as his hands began to shake and his eyes held a desperate hope in them that Arlet could no longer bear to look at.

"Forgive me" Arlet wept as he released Rowan's arm and gagged as Rowan pushed his blade into his niece's stomach and began to cut.

The sickening noise of tearing flesh echoed around the room before the sudden rush of something being spilt took its place as Aelin's birthing waters gushed from the gaping wound on her waistline and sparing not a second longer, Rowan pushed his hands inside Aelin's stomach to grasp the child within only to look up in shock as he felt something he did not expect.

"Alert, there is more than one." Rowan gasped as he moved his hands back and forth, feeling the second child protected by its larger twin's arms.

"Twins?" Alert sputtered as he looked down at the head that Rowan was pulling free from its mother's womb

"Hold out your arms for the first one," Rowan commanded and doing as he was told, Arlet held open his arms and marvelled with tears of sorrow and joy as a wriggling baby boy covered in blood and fluids was placed in his arms moments before he took his first almighty scream.

"It's a boy!" Alert cried as he shook off his coat to wrap the infant in before looking up to Rowan and freezing as the small babe in Rowan's arms that he had pulled free lay deathly still.

"Come on little one, breath!" Rowan begged as he began to frantically rub the infant’s back to clear their airways, but despite his efforts, the babe in his arms did not move and Arlet's heart sank.

"Rowan, I think it's -"

"She's going to make it" Rowan refused to hear Alerts words as he stroked the shock of red hair on the infants head, "Aren't you little one but first I need you to breathe."

A choked sobbing broke from Rowan's chest as he clutched the baby girl close and rocked her back and forth as he patted her back in vain and tears streamed down the large man's face as he cursed the heavens for allowing something so pure and fragile to be taken so cruelly when all of a sudden as if in answer to his calls, a soft gurgling sounded from his arms followed by a fierce scream as the baby girl fought her way to her first breath.

"That's it! Good girl!" Rowan praised in relief as his eyes found Arlet's with wide-eyed awe because against all the odds these two babes had survived despite what _**they**_ had planned for them and that was a miracle.

"I thought she was gone," Alert whispered as he shuffled forward and brought the two infants together and watched with sad eyes as the larger of the two instantly reached out for his sister and settled into sleep once nestled beside her.

"This one has a will to live, don't you little one." Rowan cooed as he gently wrapped Alert’s coat around both babes and took them in his arms before standing to his feet just as the light of the coming day began to filter through the windows making the infant girl in his arms stir and crane her head towards it.

"That's the dawn, my girl, that light means it's a new day," Rowan whispered as he peered down at her halo of red hair and his heart filled with love as her name came to his mind.

"Aurora."


	2. The Fall of Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aurora arrives at Survey HQ moments before all hell is unleashed and Reiner ponders on his plans.

REINER 

The recruits of the 104th bar Jean, Armin, Mikasa and Eren all sat in the mess hall of Survey HQ in a dress downs waiting for someone to tell us what the hell was going on, not that they would, they certainly hadn't told us about the 57th expedition so why would they tell us what was happening now.

_Something is wrong, I can feel it._

The cloak and dagger routine was only adding to my annoyance because even though I was trying to focus on the game of chess before me with Bertolt, all my mind could do was go over and over how quickly our plan had gone to shit.

Annie was supposed to grab Eren with minimal fuss, and then we would have been on our way home to discover if he was actually the coordinate or not, but of course, things didn't go to plan and Eren escaped, and to top it off, Annie had attacked Aurora when I had explicitly asked her not too.

The redhaired woman had saved my life, and I had only thought it fair that she spared, a life for a life, but it was also more than that. What Aurora and her brother can do has never been seen before, even back home, and when Aurora had touched my skin during Trost, I had felt this weird tingling feeling all over my body that I had felt only once before when our war chief had shaken my hand after my first transformation. I had known then that Aurora and Rian were different and as such, I had proposed that if we could, we should take them with us when we returned home but that had been met by protests and accusations from Bertolt when he had insinuated that my _personal feelings_ for Aurora were clouding my judgement, which was not the case at all.

I mean sure Aurora was easily one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen with her haunting eyes that even where I come from would be seen as exotic and damn, the way she used words to ignite a fire in the hardest of hearts was a massive turn on but if what I felt for her was more than lust like Bertolt implied then I wouldn't have suggested she come back to our homeland with us, not when upon arrival she would likely become a test subject and dissected on a metal table for the good of the empire.

No, I had suggested it because I knew in my bones, she was something important, her brother too and when it came down to it, we would have to take her and her brother into the equation if we ever had a shot at taking Eren home without bloodshed. 

_It's a shame, Aurora really has the beginnings of a hero figure for these people, like the tales of Helos except much easier on the eyes._

"You know my village just happens to be a little bit south of where we are now." Connie drawled beside me, bringing my head back to the game at hand which I was losing.

"The town where I'm from is pretty close too." Sasha sighed as she gazed dead-eyed out the window in utter boredom.

"Why can't I go see my people?" Connie groused before sighing and scratching his head, "Maybe I'll just sneak out after dark."

Now there's an idea, if I could sneak out with Connie then maybe I could finally figure out what the hell is going on here and maybe find Eren's whereabouts too.

"My people told me not to bother coming back till I'm normal so..." Sasha shrugged as I mulled over the benefits of following through on sneaking out with Connie.

_It's the perfect excuse, if we're caught then nobody would suspect an ulterior motive, just two boys wanting to make their way home._

"Well folks back when I was growing up were always telling me I was too puny to be a soldier, and look at me now, I made it in the top ten of my class! I'm telling you someone is going to be eating their words when I get back home" Connie promised, and I made up my mind.

"Connie, I'll help you if you wanna go to your village." I offered and kept my face neutral despite Bertolt's eyes narrowing at me in suspicion.

_Use your head Bertolt, I ain't spelling it out for you._

"Yeah? Why would you?" Connie frowned as he turned to look at me, and I figured some partial honesty would get me a long way.

"Doesn't this feel a bit strange? Were in standby in our plain clothes, they won't let us wear our uniforms, and we can't even train. What's even more suspicious is our superiors are armed to the teeth, were inside the wall not the front line, so who exactly are we fig-" I broke off in shock as I caught the sight of the last person I expected to see today through the large window.

"What is it?" Bertolt asked with a slight note of panic in his voice, and he had good right to be as I watched the familiar red hair of the very soldier I had been thinking about moments ago ride in the courtyard on horseback and dismount in a hurry.

_What is she doing here and what is she doing alone?_

"Hey, look! Isn't that Aurora?" Sasha pointed out as she spotted the redheaded scout who was now conversing with Gelgar through the window as he pointed to the watchtower before clapping Aurora on the back.

"Well damn, what's she doing here?" Connie said perplexed as he too leaned over to glance at the team leader as she made her way towards the tower with something clutched in her right hand.

_What is that? A letter?_

"I dunno but doesn't she look a little worse for wear?" Sasha puzzled, and I felt a slither of ice roll down my spine because she was right, Aurora did look a little worse for wear, almost like she had recently seen combat.

_Shit, what's going on?_

"Maybe she has been transferred, you know with her and the Captain being a thing and fraternising not really being allowed." Sasha guessed, and my teeth grit together of their own accord as I pictured the cold-eyed Captain and Aurora together.

_I had forgotten she and the captain were bed buddies now, it's disgusting, the man has got to be nearly ten years her senior._

"He's far too old for her," I muttered out loud without meaning to and cursed my loose tongue when Bertolt's eyes meet mine with a hard glare.

"Ooooh is that jealousy" Sasha teased, and I couldn't stop the heat that spread across my cheeks.

"Shut up!" I snapped.

* * *

AURORA 

"So, the operation was a success?" Miche mumbled as he quickly read over the missive Commander Erwin had given me to pass onto him, and I found myself scoffing in anger at the definition of success.

"If you count the near obliteration of Stohess a success then yeah sure, mission accomplished" I gibed at the tragedy of it all, I mean I rode all the way through the night and the morning to arrive here to tell Miche that yes we succeeded but also we kind of fucked it too, our bad, but hey at least we got her, so all that death didn't really count for nothing right?

_Those people deserved better._

"That's not funny." Miche chastised as he raised one eyebrow at me and I sighed, letting my anger go for now because it wasn't his fault.

"It wasn't meant to be, we captured the female titan, but half the city was reduced to rubble doing so and then she cocooned herself in crystal so we can't even talk to her." I grumbled in frustration as I looked out over the castle from our vantage point in the tower, "It's a right shit show."

"Well, I for one am glad to have you back with us" Nanaba smiled as she came up the stairs with Tomas in tow and pulled me in for a hug, "We could use the extra eyes."

 _Erwin thinks there may be more Titans in the 104th.._.

"Me too Nanaba, though I don't know what it is the commander is expecting to find here, after all, the chances of there being any more titans within the 104th cadet corps are very lo-" I broke off in a gasp as my body tensed ready to fight from the uncomfortable borderline painful feeling I got when my Titan ability was activated and breaking free from Nanaba's grip, I clutched my head in my hands as I tried to curb the unnatural feeling.

_Wait....but that means.... no..._

"Aurora?" Miche called my name in concern as he placed a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged him off as my teeth grit together, and my eyes moved of their own accord towards the south where a large cloud of dust was being thrown into the air by the horde of Titans making their way towards us.

_Oh shit..._

"Tomas ride out of here and take 3 couriers with you!" Miche ordered as either his sense of smell kicked in, or he had followed my eyes to see the encroaching threat, "Notify the districts that we've got multiple Titans incoming from the south! Wall Rose has been compromised!"

hearing those words me want to scream, cry, throw up, beg but most importantly it made me want to kill every last one of those fucking Titans that were bearing down upon us because just for five fucking minutes I would like to not be in a fight that decided the future of fucking humanity!

"Aurora get the recruits ready to evacuate the area! Nanaba find Gelgar and saddle the horses, we move out now!" Miche commanded, and I instantly pushed down my feelings and jumped into action by engaging my ODM gear and flying over to the window of the mess hall where I knew the recruits would be waiting.

Landing on the rooftop, I kicked open the window and did a quick headcount spotting Sasha, Connie, Reiner, Bertolt, Ymir, Krista and a few other's whose names I had not learned and surmised this was the full group.

"Is everyone here?" I asked hastily as I memorised each of their faces on the off chance they got separated in what was about to come next.

"What is it Aurora?" Krista asked timidly, and I found myself with this odd overwhelming need to protect the girl, maybe it was her childlike eyes, or perhaps it was the fact that Titans were bearing down on us and not a single one of them has their gear on.

_Shit, we don't have time to suit them up!_

"We've got company, approximately 500 meters to the south, Titans are heading this way! There is no time to suit up with your ODM gear, so I want everyone on a horse stat! Evacuate every home and settlement in the area!" I ordered and flinched at the horror that spread around their faces like wildfire, "Get to it!"

"But my village is to the south..." Connie muttered as sweat began to pour from his face, but it wasn't his words that drew my attention, it was the two men behind him and the dark looks on their faces.

"Do we really know if the wall has been breached?" Reiner hissed to Bertolt, but rather than answering him, Bertolt's eyes turned to meet mine, and a cold shiver ran down my spine at the veiled expression behind them.

"Right that's it I said move!" I barked not liking the feeling one bit, "Lunch is going to have to wait!"

Jumping from the roof, I engaged my ODM gear and made my way over to Miche and Nanaba as I tried to shake the unnerving feeling that was quickly taking hold of me.

"How many are we looking at?" Miche asked not sparing me a glance when I landed on the roof beside Nanaba and moved forward to take my place at his side as I allowed my ability to blow wide open to every Titan around.

_Nine from the south... others further out but how many its too far to say..._

"Nine of them in the swarm up ahead but there is definitely more." I shivered from the unpleasant feeling in my stomach, "They must have broken through Wall Rose."

"Dammit!" Nanaba solemnly exclaimed as her knees gave out beneath her to the roof tiles dejected, "We never even the got the chance to figure out what in God's name these things they are and now it's too late, humanity has lost, this is the end..."

Fear began to crawl up my throat at seeing someone who was usually so calm in the face of death, someone who I admired and idolised lose her composure in the face of what was before us. If Nanaba thought we were doomed, does that mean I should? 

_Is this finally it?_

The faces of Levi, Rian, Eren, Armin and Mikasa all flashed in my mind as I wondered on what they were doing at this very moment. Were they looking at their death too? Unlikely, they were safe inside the interior, but how long would that last? If we gave up now how long would it be before Wall Sheena was breached? Would I ever get to see them again? Would I ever get to hold them, to tell them how much I cared?

_Would I ever get to kiss him one last time?_

A fire ignited in my veins at the thought of never seeing Levi again because did I or did I not promise him that I would fight like a demon to stay by his side? This is no different from every other time I had been in battle, the stakes were just higher, and when it all came down to it the basics were the same, I made a promise to a man who loves me and is waiting for me to come back to him, and these fuckers are just in my way!

"Like hell, it is!" I snarled as I marched over to Nanaba and dragged her to her feet, "Get up, we're not done, not yet! We only lose when we give in, and we are not giving in, not here! As long as we keep putting up a fight we've not been beaten, remember that!"

A spark ignited in Nanaba's eyes and nodding, she jumped down from the roof with Miche and me not far behind her running for our horses which were already saddled and waiting with the gathering of soldiers ready to ride for all our worth.

I raced towards Kano, prepared to mount him when a large hand snaked around my arm and pulled me back, and suddenly I was engulfed in Miche's arms in a crushing embrace as he brought his lips close to my ear.

"Keep your eyes open and use your head, we don't know who is friend or foe, trust only me, Nanaba or Gelgar do you understand?" Miche whispered lowly, so only I could hear. To the others watching it looked nothing more than an embrace between to close friends in the face of death and that was exactly as I wanted it to seem, so gripping Miche tightly I burrowed my head is in his chest and nodded so that the others could not see before we parted ways and mounted our horses, pushing off with speed.

"The second the Titans breach the woods we will split up; I want four separate teams, recruits and soldiers alike in each unit. When I give the signal, we will scatter in different directions simultaneously! Get the word out to civilians! Do not engage the enemy!" Miche ordered, giving me a pointed look on the ' Do not engage' front as we rode away from HQ, "Which one of you is most familiar with the area?"

"Uh, me!" Sasha's hand shot up from behind the head of her horse, "Sir, my hometown is just to the north of here. I know this region like the back of my hand, Connie too, go on tell them!"

Connie didn't tell us anything, in fact, he kept on staring ahead with sweat glistening across his forehead like it had in the mess hall and I found myself fearing for his sanity.

_When Shiganshina fell, I was nearly 18 and I had still lost my shit then, but these soldiers are just kids, and their home is being invaded, I'll be surprised if any of them come out of this as they were before._

"What's wrong?" Sasha asked, and Connie's head snapped upwards to looked between Miche and me who were riding ahead of him.

"My village is to the south, that's where the Titans are coming from" Connie fretted, "I can lead you to nearby settlements but afterwards let me go home, please."

My heart went out to him, if I was in his situation then I would want to know too, in fact, I wouldn't be able to rest until I had seen the aftermath with my own two eyes and that's precisely what Connie needed, no matter how terrified he was.

_Brave boy._

"I'll take him, sir," I spoke up, and Connie's eyes snapped to mine in hope, "My ability should help keep him safe, and if the breach is truly to the south I might be able to locate it from the Titan's pouring through it." 

_If I did locate the breach then we would know where to focus our efforts on plugging it too._

"Very well, guide the southern team then take him to the village." Miche conceded seeing the logic behind my plan.

"Yes, sir." I nodded in affirmation and began to pull my horse away to begin the separation for the southern team.

"I'll come with you" Reiner volunteered, and usually I would be grateful for the support but that strange feeling I felt earlier when I had looked at him returned, almost like a nagging feeling at the back of my mind. What was I trying to remember?

_Stop it! Now is not the time!_

"What are you crazy? They will be everywhere!" Connie yelled as he tried to talk his friend out of this dangerous task.

"You think I care, I was gonna help you get home any way wasn't I?" Reiner insisted before he turned his golden gaze to the rider beside him, "What about you, coming?"

"Of course, wouldn't miss it for the world," Bertolt responded with an almost forced calm and once again, our eyes and I could see the cracks beneath the mask start to appear.

"Look sharp, if ever we needed to give our all that time is now." Nanaba's voice boomed across the riders pulling my gaze from Bertolt, "Don't lose heart!"

My insides suddenly pulled, and I jerked forward as my ability alerted me to the Titans approaching faster than I had anticipated they would, these guys were clearly hungry, which come to think of it didn't make sense. Of course, I knew Titans didn't have a filling reflex that made them stop once they were full, the bastards just vomited and then moved on to the next kill, but Survey HQ was miles from the Wall, and there were hundred's if not thousands of people between them and us, even abnormals wouldn't have made it this far because they would have been drawn to the larger towns and villages.

_So why were they here!?_

"The enemy has breached the wood!" Gelgar announced with a tinge of fear in his voice.

"SCATTER NOW!" Miche commanded, and I pulled my horse towards the south as I watched Nanaba, Krista and Ymir disappear to the west when my body pulled again sharply.

"MICHE!" I cried out in warning as I felt the Titans suddenly pick up speed and turning to look I saw him shake his head and spit out a curse as the monsters made for us at full tilt. 

"Holy shit!" Connie stuttered as our chances of escape began to rapidly dwindle, and I reached down to unclip my blades ready to engage the bastards.

"GELGAR!" Miche bellowed as he kicked his horse and broke away from the group to charge towards the Titans, "TAKE CHARGE OF THE SOUTHERN TEAM!"

_What the fuck is doing!?_

"Sir?" Gelgar stuttered as he watched Miche ride away before his face hardened, and he gripped his reigns tighter, "Understood."

"Please don't tell me he is using himself as bate!" I asked incredulously, but the hard look in Gelgar's eyes told that was precisely what Miche was doing and I felt my head shake vehemently in denial, "No way! I'm going with him!" 

_I'm not watching more people I love die!_

"NO!" Gelgar commanded as I moved to pull my horse away and I found myself freezing at the unfamiliar authority in his tone, "Without you were riding blind and we can't afford to risk you no matter how good with a blade you are! And for God sake give him some damn credit that man's skills are legendary, he will make it back alive! Count on it!"

Guilt racked my body at the thought of abandoning Miche, but I gave no further protest because what Gelgar said was right, without my ability we would be riding straight into the oncoming Titan hordes without warning, so as much as it killed me to do it, I followed Gelgar as he lead the southern team deeper into the countryside. Still, as I looked back at Miche's rapidly disappearing form, I couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that I had just left the only father figure I had since the Fall of Shiganshina to die alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A massive thankyou to GabyD and Macncheese22 for the kudos and following the story!  
> As always comments are welcome,


	3. Pieces of the Puzzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rian and the scouts move out from Stohess

RIAN

"Why can't the sons of bitches give us a moments peace?" Captain Levi drawled as he stormed into the room with a deep scowl on his face and slammed the door behind him making Commander Erwin and me look up from the maps scattered across the desk and Scout Lauder jump out of his skin.

_So, he's finally heard that Wall Rose has fallen and my sister, his lover, is on the front lines without us._

"Can you go?" Commander Erwin inquired, his voice calm despite the severity of the situation unlike me who was shitting myself for a thousand reasons and 900 of those were about the whereabouts and safety of my sister and judging by the look on Levi's face that was his primary concern too.

_Humanity is falling, and we're focused on one woman, what does that say about us?_

"Like there is a choice" Levi spat as his eyes met mine and I could see the traces of fear behind his usual dead eyes and my heart clenched slightly in sympathy.

_He belongs to Aurora now, body and soul..._

"If I may say, sir, very wise leaving Miche in charge of the 104th if anyone can handle the situation he can" Lauder praised as he scribbled hastily on a notepad and I wondered vaguely if Erwin had anticipated some issue arising prompting him to send Aurora in place of Levi as Miche's support.

_And a good thing too, she would have felt the Titans coming and helped evacuate HQ...provided she made it there first._

"Aurora can help him, her range on titan spotting is far greater than mine, she will be able to help evacuations go more smoothly provided she's not engaging the front line," I added, and Erwin's eyes snapped to mine before nodding thoughtfully.

"Yes, let's hope so." Commander Erwin replied as he grabbed the maps and hastily left the room with Levi and me on his heels, "One of you find Hange, we move out in 10 minutes."

Falling back I turned on my heel and made my way with speed to the labs knowing that was precisely where Hange would be, what I hadn't expected was Levi to accompany me with his scowl which turned darker by the second.

_That doesn't bode well at all._

"Captain?" I asked uncertainly, but Levi continued on as if he hadn't heard me and I knew I had to put a stop to this, we needed him thinking clearly, she needed him to think clearly.

"Levi" I snapped as I grabbed the smaller man's shoulders and tried not to flinch when he snarled at me, "Get it together, she is coming back to us."

The snarl on Levi's face faltered, and he seemed to regain himself somewhat before giving me a stiff nod and shrugging my hand off to continue on towards the labs.

_Aurora you better come back soon otherwise I don't know what we're going to do with him._

"Please section commander what is taking so long!" Moblit's irritated voice sounded from the lab as Levi, and I entered to see him rushing around Hange as she peered through a microscope, "They are leaving in 5 mins with or without us! You've got to wrap it up!"

_Is she for real?! We've got literal Titans breathing down our necks and she's playing scientist!_

"Hold your horses; I just need another moment," Hange complained as she picked up a piece of rock she was examining and held it up for closer inspection.

"Hange get moving!" Levi barked, making the section commander jump out of her skin and turn to address him with a deep frown on her face. 

"And our guest?" Hange quizzed, and I felt my teeth clenching together at the mention of the only guest we had with us, the murderous Pastor Nick.

"He's been ready to go for a while so unless you want me to go back on my word and break his damn legs, then I suggest you move it!" Levi threatened, and I found myself somewhat disappointed that Hange had clearly intervened with Levi's plans for the priest, but mostly I was confused as to why we needed to bring him with us in the first place.

_What good could he do us now?_

"Rian!" Nifa's voice called for me from the doorway. Turning I saw her gesturing me to follow her and my heart thumped painfully at the forlorn expression on her face. Had all things been well I was supposed to meet with her tonight to spend time together but of course the Titans had to invade and take that away too. 

"Nifa?" I replied worried as I did as I was bid and the moment I was outside the lab, Nifa's small hands reached up and grasped my face before pulling it down to hers and crashing our lips together for the first time. My arms instantly wrapped around her and pulled her off the floor as my mind swam with her scent, and I cursed myself for not doing this sooner as our tongues collided together desperately.

_What if this is it for us? Have I wasted all this time when we could have been doing this?_

A sharp cough broke through the haziness of Nifa's lips and breaking free from her, I turned my head in annoyance to see Levi gesturing for me to move it. 

_Prick_.

"We haven't got all day" Levi snapped before he took off down the corridor after Hange and Moblit, cursing the dead-eyed midget I looked down at Nifa's face and saw a deep concern lying there, and I knew she was worried about what the future held for us now that Wall Rose had been compromised. A feeling I could not name swelled in my heart as I gently grasped her face and brought our lips together for a brief but no less passionate kiss before laying my forehead against hers. 

_Why am I feeling this now?_

"Nifa I-" 

"It's okay, you can tell me later. Now go" Nifa whispered before she quickly kissed me again and pulled away before running down the corridor. Watching her disappear I felt a lump form in my throat and forcefully choked it down before running after the Captain and meeting him outside to where he gestured to a carriage that already had Eren, Armin and Mikasa sat upon it. 

"Great! Can somebody explain to me what this means?" Eren demanded as I climbed into the driver's seat of the carriage and nodded to the three of them, my mind still on Nifa and the look on her face as she left. 

"I don't know but their Titans, right?" Armin mused, "Would they break a wall with Titan's in it?"

"Wouldn't be the first time, it's how they got into Shiganshina," Eren growled, and his words broke through my thoughts of Nifa as I pictured the flying debris from the gate that had nearly killed Armin and Aurora, that had killed my grandfather and trapped Carla resulting in her death.

_Wait, that wasn't debris from the walls..._

"That was a gate," I said out loud before turning around in my seat to meet Armin's eyes as he nodded, his mind on the same page as mine. If the walls really did have Titans in them then maybe the gates were that, just gates, that could be why they had fallen because they had no Titans in them, only hole in that theory was that no reports have come from the outlier districts saying that their gates have fallen, so how have the Titans gotten in if they didn't breach a gate?

"What exactly are you getting at Rian?" Mikasa asked as she eyed me with a grim expression. 

"The walls are different, there are no signs of stress, no cracks or crevices between the rock." Armin answered for me as I tried to wrap my head around it, "We can't even really tell how they were constructed. Suppose they are built with the same stuff Annie is trapped in, must be versatile material and we know it's virtually indestructible."

"So, the walls are made of Titans," Eren concluded as he finally caught up to Armin and me and I nodded my head as I ran my hand through my hair before turning my eyes towards the walls on the horizon line.

_This whole-time Titans have been protecting us from other Titans._

"Eren you will get cold, wear it tight." Mikasa chastised, drawing my gaze back to the kids as she pulled Eren's cloak tighter around his frame while he stared ahead vacantly with concerned eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly, and Eren turned towards me worried. 

"She's going to be okay, isn't she?" Eren pressed, and I didn't need to be a mind reader to know who she was.

"We will get Auror-"

"Sorry to keep you waiting! It took longer to prepare than I thought" Hange announced as she arrived with Levi and the wall priest in tow and I felt that grim satisfaction again when I met Nick's eyes and he skidded back in fear only to be hauled forward by Levi onto the back of the wagon, followed by Hange and himself as Moblit jumped up beside me.

 _Cosy_. 

"He's a priest from the order of the walls!" Armin gasped as his eyes settled on Pastor Nick and Hange cackled as she threw her arms around the priest in an unnervingly false camaraderie. 

"I know! Old Nick and me are thick as thieves. It's fine, makes about as much sense for him to be here as it did for when two armed guys tried to kill your cousins don't you think? Weird and random." Hange insinuated heavily, and Pastor Nick's eyes widened as he realised we knew about his part in the plot to kill Aurora and me and Eren's and Mikasa's faces twisted in anger when all the pieces fell into place. 

"On the contrary, Erwin has thrown us together for a reason, hazard a guess as to why holy man" Levi implied darkly as his eyes burned into pastor Nick's rapidly paling face. 

_Good, put the fear of his god into the bastard._

"Open the gates!" Commander Erwin ordered from horseback before turning the beast to address the soldiers gathered before him, "The status of wall Rose is unclear, but everything up to Hermina is safe, that's the route we will be taking. Let's move out!"

"Yes, sir." A chorus of shouts rang out and taking the reigns, Moblit pulled our horses into action and lead us out of Stohess into the lands of Wall Rose as Eren began to shout the odds about Pastor Nick.

"Wait back up, not only did this guy know about the walls but he's the behind the attack on Aurora and Rian?!" Eren stormed as he jumped to his feet and pointed his finger accusingly at the wall priest who kept on shooting nervous glances between Levi and me. 

"Aha. Afraid so, just about sums up where we are with him." Hange sighed as she shook her head with a frustration that we all shared, "Cats out of the bag now, of course, he's not willing to talk yet, but we will see how he feels after a harsh dose of reality. Faith keeps him quiet, but first-hand experience though-" 

"To hell with that! We're doing this backwards! If this son of a bitch knows something, then he needs to come out with it! Humanity is on the brink of extinction, and all you care about is keeping your oath and depriving humanity of two of its' best soldiers!" Eren raged at Pastor Nick only to stumble forward as his face paled showing how affected he still was by the battle for Stohess. 

"Hey! Take it easy. Your still not fully recovered" Mikasa scolded as she guided Eren back down to his seat and my eyes met his in concern for his wellbeing before turning back to the wall priest in disgust.

"There is more than one way to get at the truth" Levi drawled, and my eyes widened as I saw him point a gun from the inside of his jacket at Pastor Nick,"Granted I may not be in top form at the moment, but it doesn't take much strength to squeeze a trigger, a better death than what you had planned for _her_ , but death is death all the same. That being said, I'm genuinely hoping it won't come to that, so why don't we settle this without me needing to blow a hole in you."

I have to give it to him, the wall priest didn't so much as flicker to what was a very genuine threat on Levi's part, he had, after all, stormed out in a rage ready to inflict a lot of pain on Pastor Nick so I can imagine merely threatening him with a gun was Levi's way of being tame because we needed Nick whether we liked it or not. That being said, walls help him when we no longer did because Levi was getting revenge for my sister one way or another, that I could count on.

"Threatening him doesn't work Levi, trust me on that." Hange said as she gave Levi a very pointed look, "Agree with his actions or not there is no denying that our priest here is a man of principle, which of course leads me to wonder, if he is so unwilling to talk, what in heavens name do you think he is willing to put above the fate of humanity."

_Nothing good, I imagine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks for the comments and Kudos guys and an even bigger thanks to those of you who have followed on from The Birth of Freedom.  
> Also a slight apology for the delay, I promise I will try to get my arse in gear and get some more chapters out soon as possible :D


	4. The Curious Case of Ragako Village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aurora arrives at Connie's village and nothing adds up.

AURORA 

The southern evacuation had gone according to plan in the sense that the Villagers had already lost their minds and had begun to flee in the correct direction without much prompting giving us the desperately needed extra time to make haste towards Connie's village and look for the breach which I was becoming more and more dubious about.

When Shiganshina fell, the town was overrun within twenty minutes, and within the hour Titans were pouring into the land of Maria, the same should be happening here, but it wasn't. The Titans we had seen were a relatively modest few considering there was supposed to be a gaping hole in Wall Rose. However, that could just mean that the outlier districts could be doing their job and still drawing the majority of Titans towards them but still, there were hundreds if not thousands of Titans beyond wall Rose meaning more than a modest few should have gotten in. Of course, I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, the fewer Titans, the better the chances of survival the people of Rose had, though approaching the eerily quiet area around the village of Ragako, I didn't hold out too much hope for the residents of this particular villages' survival.

_There is no signs of life anywhere..._

My body heaved suddenly, and I felt the uncomfortable telltale sign of a lone Titan within the vicinity, and I drew my blades ready when suddenly Connie kicked into his horse and broke formation to hurtle towards his village with speed.

_Shit! He hasn't even got his gear on, that Titan could bare down on him and wouldn't be able to do a thing but scream!_

"Connie get a hold of yourself!" Reiner scolded as he rode after Connie, "Wait for us!""

"Connie listen to him, there is a Titan nearby!" I warned as I squeezed Kano's sides and began to push away from the group with protest from the beast between my legs as his fatigue began to catch up to us.

"I know boy, just a little while longer," I said into Kano's ears as I leaned forward and pushed on into Ragako ahead of the main group after Connie, all the while keeping tabs on the lone Titan as it remained unmoving.

_Unmoving?_

"Hello! Can anybody hear me? Somebody please its Connie I came home!" Connie screamed, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Panic shot through me as I heard the boy's screams coming from the area I could feel the Titan and rounding into the ruined village, I cantered my way towards the sound of his voice only to recoil in horror at the sight of a massive Titan's head upside down, its eyes wide as it peered at a stunned Connie sat astride his horse unharmed.

"What did I fucking say!" I snarled as I rode over to him and forced his horse away from the Titan with mine, never once taking my eyes off the Titan, "Back up now!"

The Titan's giant golden eyes remained fixed on Connie and followed his every move, and yet it made no move to correct itself from its back and attack, in fact looking at it now, I could see its ribs sticking out from its flesh and its small unnatural legs poking out from the house it lay on in strange angles. Resheathing my blades, I shook my head in disbelief as I continued to stare at it because for all intents and purposes this Titan was stuck and with legs like that there was no way it was moving let alone presenting a threat which begged the question, how the fuck did it get here?

"What are you guys doing?" Reiner's voice echoed through the ruined street as he rode up beside us, eyes wide as he spotted what had us transfixed, "Get back!"

"It's my house.." Connie muttered crestfallen, but as much as my heart ached for him, we were by no means safe, and we had a job to do.

_We need to find out what the hell happened here._

"Scout out the area!" I ordered as Hennings and Lynne rode up to us, we needed to know how this thing got here, and we needed to know now.

"Yes Ma'am" they saluted before kicking into their horses and taking off in opposite directions as Gelgar rode up and saddled beside me, his eyes wide as he took in the Titan before us.

"What the hell? This is new." Gelgar sputtered, "Can it move?"

"Not with those legs," I answered, shaking my head before pointing to the pathetic limbs attached to the Titan's deformed lower half. I had seen plenty Titans with deformities, but it was never like this, they had always been able to move, this... I didn't know what to make of this.

"But then... I don't understand... how did it even get here?!" Gelgar muttered more to himself than to me, his eyes totally fixed on the Titan as sweat began to seep through his skin.

"Good question." I mumbled before turning to Bertolt, Reiner and Connie, "You three start looking for survivors! Check every house, every corner, leave no stone unturned!"

"Ma'am!" they all saluted and took off around the village looking for survivors though somehow, I knew they weren't going to find any. This whole village felt wrong, the place was demolished, and yet we had only one Titan to account for it, one Titan that couldn't move and was lying on top of Connie's house.

_Something is very wrong here..._

"I'm going to do an eval, something doesn't feel right" I informed Gelgar before jabbing my finger at the Titan before us as its eyes focused in on me, "Don't let that _thing_ out of your sight."

"Er right." Gelgar nodded doing exactly as he was bid as he kept his eyes fixed on the Titan and I kicked into Kano's flanks and rode through the village assessing everything from the ruined houses, to the lack of blood, bodies and carnage to the full stables and the deathly quiet of the whole-

_Wait...They left the horses behind?!_

"Have you found any survivors?" Gelgar called out as I return to the giant Titan just as Connie, Bertolt, Reiner, Hennings and Lynne did and we all dismounted as we voiced our findings.

"No... It's in ruins... My home town has been completely wiped out!" Connie wailed as Reiner and Lynne moved in to console him and I ran a hand over my thick crown braid in trepidation before I gestured for Gelgar to have a word.

"Something is _very_ wrong," I said in a hushed tone as soon as Gelgar and I were out of earshot, "That Titan shouldn't be here and I dunno about you but I've never known Titans to be so clean with their meals, there's no bodies or limbs or anything."

"How is that possible?" Gelgar said incredulously as he rubbed the back of his neck clearly uncomfortable, "There isn't even a spec of blood, but the ransacked houses and that fucked up Titan suggests they have been here."

_What are we missing?!_

"Something is staring us right in the face and were missing it," I growled in frustration, and I found myself wishing that I had half of Rian's intelligence to help figure this shit out.

"They must have fled!" Lynne exclaimed making both Gelgar and me turn to her in alarm with our hands on our blades, "The villagers I mean, they all escaped. Your family too!"

_That's entirely misleading Lynne, we don't know what the fuck happened here._

"You think so?" Connie said hopefully as he lapped up Lynne's words and I found myself wanting to smack her upside the head because there was nothing worse than false hope because sooner or later reality sets in and the world comes crashing down around you.

"Yeah! It's the only logical explanation for why there would be no trace of well ya know... carnage." Lynne fretted as she wrung her hands together and I shook my head before turning back to Gelgar who was watching me with a deep frown on his face.

"I dunno that I agree with that Gelgar." I objected as my mind went back to the stables full of horses.

"Me either" Gelgar confided to me, and he stepped closer to my side to keep our words hidden, "For argument's sake suppose the entire village was evacuated on time how do we explain the devastation? Why would Titans rip apart empty houses?"

_They wouldn't... not in my experience at least._

"That doesn't bother me half as much as the fact that the stables are full, without horses these people would never have made it on foot." I pointed out before sighing and running my hand over my hair again, deeply unsettled by the situation.

_None of this makes any sense, and yet my gut instinct is telling that something big happened here, I just don't know_ **_what_ ** _._

"I know but were going to have to puzzle it out later, preferably with Hange and Rian, _we_ have to find the breach." Gelgar pressed, and I nodded my head in agreement, we could come back to Ragako later, but first, we need to find and seal the breach.

_If we can..._

"On your order." I conceded and moved with him to re-join the others who were all watching us and waiting.

"Okay our mission is to evaluate the breach, so everyone grab torches and move out," Gelgar ordered, and everyone including myself snapped to action and were mounted and ready with torches on the double before pushing off and riding out the village. We had barely reached the edge of Ragako when something made me turn around and doing a quick headcount I realised Connie and Reiner were nowhere to be seen.

_For fuck_ **_sake_ ** _!_

Growling in frustration, I turned Kano around and doubled back into the village to find the little bastards when I heard the angry voice of Reiner echoing through the rubble.

"Snap out of it! We're falling behind Gelgar and the others!" Reiner shouted as I lead Kano back to where we had set off from.

"Did you hear that!" I could hear Connie's voice say as I rapidly approached them, "You had too! I swear that Titan-"

"It's only your imagination, I didn't hear a damn thing!" Reiner snapped as he came into sight, and I spotted him bringing his horse close to Connie's to lean into the smaller boy's personal space in a menacing manner that I did not like one bit.

_Oh, that's going to stop right now._

"What's going on here?!" I demanded as I brought my horse beside the two soldiers and watched with narrowed eyes as Reiner jerked back into his saddle and meet my eyes with a levelled stare as Connie scrambled to tell me what was happening.

"Aurora that Titan just-"

"I said, snap out of it!" Reiner cut him off, determined to put an end to whatever Connie was trying to say, "Focus on the mission! We have to move now!"

"I don't know how...but it" Connie stammered as his wide, fearful eyes bored into my own, "....it sounded like my mo-"

"DAMN IT CONNIE DO YOU REALISE HOW DESPERATE THE SITUATION IS RIGHT NOW!" Reiner stormed as he made to reach back over and grab onto Connie, but beating him to the punch, I pushed Kano forward and forced myself between the two soldiers before shoving Reiner back into his saddle with a snarl on my face.

"LAY OFF HIM!" I ordered and watched with suspicion as Reiner baulked at my dominant display before his eyes darted back and forth between the Titan and me.

_What the hell is wrong with him, and what was Connie saying? Was he trying to say,_ **_mom?_ **

"Ma'am if we don't see this through then people are gonna die by the hundreds of thousands. Just because his family escaped doesn't mean they are out of the woods yet and he is wasting our time!" Reiner snapped at me challengingly as his eyes kept on returning to that Titan in a way that had me thinking he was being motivated by more than just fear and once again I found that strange cold feeling slithering down my spine when I met his hostile gaze.

_I've never seen this side of Reiner before but then again what do I really know about him… still, I'll be damn if I'm going to let him run rough shot over Connie and he's certainly not doing it to me._

"Watch your tone when speaking to me soldier, that's the only time I will tell you now get back to the others," I said, heavy threat in my undertone, and instantly Reiner snapped out of whatever the hell he had gotten himself into as he hastily apologised and kicked his horse into gear while I watched with narrowed eyes because the man I was just seeing wasn't the solider I fought with at Trost.

 _I can figure it out later, we've got to get moving_.

"He's a dick, but he's right, we have to move." I motioned for Connie to move as I turned Kano back to the main path, "Come on."

****************

"Gelgar this isn't right," I whispered to Gelgar for what must have been the 100th time today as we moved slowly through the midnight darkness beneath Wall Rose with nothing but the light of our torches to shine a path.

_Just as well I can't feel any Titans otherwise this would be the perfect ambush._

"What are you talking about?" Gelgar whispered back as he turned in his saddle to look at me with fearful eyes.

"I can't feel anything" I fretted, not liking being cut off from one of my senses in the slightest, "surely, I should have felt more Titans by now, but I feel nothing, not even one."

"Maybe the breach is further up?" Gelgar suggested as he nervously peered into the darkness.

_It could well be, but with the lack of Titans, I would say no, but if that's the case then does that mean there is no breach?_

"We've been riding for hours, and there have been no signs." I pressed as I reached over to grasp Gelgar's arm to make him look at me, "What if there isn't any breach?"

Gelgar's eyes widened before he began to shake his head vigorously, unwilling or perhaps unable to entertain the thought that maybe this wasn't a breach after all.

"But that doesn't make sen-"

"Ssh I hear something!" Hennings hissed, and we all fell silent with our hearts in our mouths as the noise Hennings had heard got louder and louder. Ice trickled down my spine as I listened to the heavy breathing of what sounded like an animal and my hand dropped to my blades even though I was sure it wasn't a Titan because I couldn't rule out wolves or something bigger like a bear.

_I'd take the lone bear over a pack of wolves any day._

My heartbeat painfully as I strained my eyes into the dark only to relax as one then two then three torches illuminated in the darkness and I released the breath I was holding because wolves did not carry torches. Gently returning my barely unsheathed blade, I brought my horse forward and sighed in relief when I saw Nanaba, Krista and Ymir materialise out of the darkness unharmed and relatively composed.

_No combat then._

"So, you followed the wall here, too, right?" Nanaba shivered as we all came to a standstill facing each other and her eyes darted around our group no doubt looking for any signs of combat or injury just as I had.

"Yeah, so I assume you found the breach?" Gelgar inquired with a hopeful tone to his voice, but I could see from the look on Nanaba's face that we had no such luck.

"We didn't see any irregularities along the western route, surely you must have found something in the east!" Nanaba pressed urgently, and her horse began to shuffle unsettled at the distress in her voice.

"No, the wall is perfectly intact..." Gelgar quavered as the hand holding his torch began to shake and bringing my horse closer to his, I reached forward and placed my hand on his elbow to offer some support.

"Maybe you just overlooked it." Nanaba challenged as she directed the question at me and I shook my head in response, there was no way on hell I missed a breach that big.

"Not likely, my ability has never been wrong, and with a hole that big for Titans to pour through, there is no way I didn't feel it." I disagreed as I rubbed soothing circles into Gelgar's arm and noticed his shaking had subsided.

"Maybe your too tired to use your ability affectively, you've been moving none stop for more than a day, it could be affecting you," Nanaba said but not unkindly and instantly the day's toll took hold, and I felt the ache in my bones from not just the horse riding but from Stohess too, maybe Nanaba was right, perhaps I was too tired to use my ability affectively.

_What good is my being here if I can't use my ability?_

"I suggest we make another pass," Gelgar suggested before gently withdrawing his arm from my grip and sending me a thankful smile which I returned.

"That goes without saying, trouble is the horses are on the verge of collapse, and so are we. If only we had more light." Nanaba growled in frustration just, as if in answer to her prayers, the clouds parted and moonlight poured from the heavens to light up the lands surrounding us in a pale silver glow, which given the threatening situation we found ourselves in was oddly beautiful.

"What's that?" Nanaba gasped and following her line of sight I too breathed in shock as I found the tall needle-pointed tower breaking the silver skyline in a dark foreboding manner and hoped to dear god we were not going to be staying _there_ for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments, Kudos, bookmarks and subscriptions, it makes me so happy!!  
> as always feel free to comment and let me know what your thinking and feeling about the story so far, any constructive criticism is appreciated, I always want to improve my writing in any way I can :D


	5. The False Prophet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pastor Nick finally spills the beans

LEVI 

The ride to Hermina had so far been silent after our initial conversation regarding Pastor Nick and his attempt to murder my woman and her brother and to say I was quietly seething would be a massive understatement. This whole night had been a massive shit show and to top it all off I was wracked with worry on the whereabouts of my heart as she remained in the lands of Rose doing God knows what. 

Had I known Wall Rose was going to fall I would never have let Aurora leave, I would have insisted she stay by my side and told Erwin to find another lackey, instead what I had done was fuck her before she left and then went on with my duties like the cat that got the cream while she rode out to Survey HQ to be stranded out there as Titans poured in from the breach and to make matters worse, what was I doing about it now? I was sat in a carriage, unable to do fuck all because of my busted leg, next to the man who had tried to kill the woman I love, and I can't even make him pay because Hange said we needed him _intact._

_Fuck Hange, Fuck Erwin, Fuck the wall priest, fuck the lot of them...I just want her home with me, no, I **need** her home with me. _

Growling under my breath, I turned back towards Pastor Nick looking to take some of my frustrations out on him when I clocked Hange holding a chunk of rock, the same chunk of rock she had been so fascinated by in Stohess, close to her face as her eyebrows scrunched together in thought.

_What the hell is she doing now?_

"Hey four eyes, since when are you a geologist. Or are rocks just that fascinating, looks like your about to drool." I drawled, startling Hange from her thoughts as she looked to me perplexed.

"What this?" Hange asked as she held up the rock in her hand, "It's not a rock, not an ordinary one anyway. It's a hardened piece of skin left behind by the female titan."

"It didn't vanish!?" Armin exclaimed as he sat forward in his seat with his eyes riveted to the rock in Hange's hand.

"NO!" Hange babbled excitedly to Armin, but my attention was on Pastor Nick who was beginning to sweat profusely as he eyed the two brain boxes, "This fragment broke off when Annie reverted back to her human form, it didn't evaporate, it didn't simply go poof. So that got me thinking, and I compared it to a fragment from the wall, their texture and composition were for all intents and purposes virtually identical. In layman's terms, were hemmed in by a barricade of enormous titans. If my hypothesis is correct, then the walls were constructed using consolidated titan skin."

 _Well, fuck me_.

"You're kidding me, that's what Armin was trying to say." Mikasa gasped as she looked to Armin who jumped up with wide-eyed horror.

"So then! -"

"Easy!" Hange warned as she jammed her hand against Armin's face effectively gagging the boy, "Its rude to steal someone else's thunder!"

"Hange, let him go." Rian sighed as he turned around in his seat to give four eyes a pointed look, but of course she didn't listen to him and continued on with her mad ravings as she held Armin's mouth hostage.

"As it stands, we would be hard-pressed to find a rock big enough to plug wall rose, it would have to be just the right shape and size, and we don't have specifics yet. But on the other hand, where there is a will, there's a way!" Hange promoted as she released Armin and turned her hopeful eyes to Eren, "Picture Eren utilising his hardening ability while in titan form."

_The little shit could potentially plug the breach..._ **_could_ ** _being the choice word here._

"I could...patch the hole..." Eren muttered in awe as he ate up Hange's words.

"Your skin might be composed of the same material, and once you're transformed back, it won't dissolve." Hange surmised as she stared at the rock in her hands before lifting her head and looking around us all, "This might be less of a long shot than it sounds, thoughts?"

The brats all looked between each other and then finally to Rian who gave them a stiff nod; clearly, some unspoken conversation had just taken place, and an agreement had been made.

"Well, anything worthwhile incurs a little risk." Armin presented, a small smile on his face "If we can shore up Wall Rose then Maria is looking really promising."

"We could go home" Rian marvelled more to himself than anyone else as a hopeful gleam shone in his eyes and I found myself uncomfortable with how much he looked like his sister at that moment.

"Yes" Hange premised as she began to pull apart her own plan, "But vital as it is, the outpost infrastructure slows us down to a crawl, the time we would need to transport resources would be immense but is supply wagons don't have to be accommodated then we can make our there much faster."

"That would be the best solution." Rian agreed as he rubbed his hand over his hair in a gesture that had me gritting my teeth as once again I was reminded of his sister who should be here with me but fucking wasn't.

"What if we were to carry out our plan at night?" Armin called out suddenly, and all eyes turned to him.

_That's not bad actually._

"When the titans are effectively motionless, Armin that's genius." Rian praised, and the smile that spread across Armin's face was a tad sickening.

"It is genius, particularly if the group is small enough to slip by unnoticed with the Sparhawkes in that group directing us away from all potential threats." Hange added as she gestured to Rian completely forgetting we had one of said Sparhawkes missing and currently unaccounted for, "The straights were in are as dire as they come, but there might just be the tiniest bit of slack."

"Yes that may be true, but before you sign my sister and me up for a suicide mission, please be aware that this all hinges on the fact that Eren can _actually_ seal another hole." Rian cross-examined before sending an apologetic smile to Eren, and frankly, I was glad for it. Aurora and Rian, personal feelings aside, were too valuable to throw into danger without the reassurance that we could actually pull this off.

"It's probably unfair of me to even ask, but do you think you can?" Hange inquired with a soft edge to her voice, and I shook my head in exasperation because now wasn't the time to be coddling the brat.

"What he thinks isn't really the issue, you either will or you won't." I snapped, and all eyes turned to me, but I kept my eyes trained on Eren, "Our comrades are breaking their backs, but without you it means nothing. You know what's at stake, you know who is out there fighting, failure isn't an option."

"Sir, I know! I'm prepared to do whatever it takes, that's a promise!" Eren swore with a fierce expression, and I believed him, "My father's cellar, that's where the answers are. If there is a grain of truth in what he told me, everything depends on us making it there, so if I have to find a way to plug Wall Rose and Maria to get there, then that's what I'm going to do."

"Here's Hermina," Hange announced breaking off the end of Eren's little speech as the large gate to the Hermina district came into view, and my teeth ground together as we passed hundreds of flame torches carried by fleeing refugees hoping to survive the onslaught of the Titans. We rolled past the horror stricken civilians through the gatehouse into the military keep, and Hange gave me a pointed look before gesturing to Pastor Nick who sat stoically in the carriage, his eyes staring dead ahead as we came to a standstill. 

A dark smirk spread across my lips as I rose to my feet and grasped the back of Pastor Nick's tunic before dragging him off the carriage as Armin, Mikasa and Eren gasped and shoving him back towards the gatehouse I caught Rian's face etched with grim satisfaction as he watched the Pastor being manhandled.

_Maybe he has more of a darker nature than he thought._

Forcing Pastor Nick back through the gatehouse, I pushed him down a narrow tunnel that I knew would come out at the main entranced where thousands of people who had just lost everything would be passing through with no hope left in their eyes and I wanted him to see all of them.

_See how he fairs when he sees the souls of the people he abandoned crying out for their salvation._

Light shone at the end of the tunnel, and I shoved the Pastor towards it only to be met by his resistance as his eyes finally clapped on the droves of demoralised and broken refugees as they despondently milled through the street with nothing but the clothes on their backs as possessions.

"No one said, stop!" I snarled as I kicked Pastor Nick down the steps towards the throngs of people, "A rolling stone gathers no moss."

"This is-" Pastor Nick broke off in a choked sobbed as he focused in on a pair of young children walking hand in hand, tears streaming down their faces with no protector to guide them as they followed the masses.

"Maybe you expected to see something quaint?" I sneered as I stood above him on the steps, "This is what happens when the walls give, people running in the dead of night not knowing whether they are going to live or die at the hands of monsters, this is what the man and woman you tried to have killed endured when their home was taken from them. They gave their lives in service to make sure this didn't happen again, and how did you thank them? By sending dogs to kill them in their sleep."

All of it was too much for the Pastor just as I suspected it would be and he began to recoil and shy away from the torment before him which simply wouldn't do because if I wanted him to talk, I needed him to break.

"NO!" I snapped as I grabbed the back of Pastor Nick's neck and forced him to watch, "Take it in holy man, these are the faces of human beings who have lost everything they have ever had, human beings you and your kind abandoned incidentally, hard to look at it I imagine but if the church had its way this would be all of us. Titans would pour in and make a feast of what's left, shovelling man, woman and child down their putrescent gullets. All humanity digested as one, without a single soldier to defend them because your lot send knives after them in the dark."

Broken dry sobs broke free from Pastor Nick's chest as his spirit finally broke and I knew my work here was done.

_Now let's see what he's been hiding._

* * *

RIAN 

"Eren can you ride?" Moblit called out as we all raced around gathering supplies and equipment for the push into the lands of Rose, and I raised my head awaiting Eren's reply.

"Yeah shouldn't be too much of an issue." Eren nodded. I walked over to him and clapped him on the shoulder with pride at his strength and fortitude, I mean only a few days ago he was battling a Titan hand to hand and here he was ready to get back into the fight. 

_Tough little bastard._

"Well saddle up then soldier there is a mount waiting for you on the left lift." Moblit directed Eren with a small smile before his eyes zeroed in behind us, "Section commander we're pressed for time!"

"Thanks Moblit, give me a sec," Hange said somewhat distracted, and I turned to look at her spotting what had caught her attention. Nudging Eren's arm, I gestured for him to turn and watch as Levi entered the room with an exceptional crestfallen pastor Nick as he stumbled his way into the room with the captain on his heels.

_So, Levi had some fun with him then, good, nothing he doesn't deserve._

"So, seen the light yet by any chance." Hange asked hopefully as she approached the Pastor only to be met by an annoying silence that caused her to lose her shit, "OH GOD DAMN IT MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND! THIS ISN'T SOME SPIRITUAL TEST! LIVES ARE ON THE LINE!"

_Yes, like my fucking sister, not that he gives a shit._

"Alas I have no choice, neither I or the others who believe are at liberty to divulge the truth" Pastor Nick lamented, and my temper spiked at the same time Eren let out a growl of frustration.

_U_ _nfuckingbelievable._

"A fat lot of help you are! Thanks for keeping us company it's been fun!" Hange snarled as she threw her hands into the air and began to walk away when suddenly Pastor Nick took a step forward and grasped Hange's arm, making everyone in the room stop and watch him warily.

"I'd offer my help if I could but a duty as great as this one is beyond me" Pastor Nick sniffled pathetically, "The order of the walls is bound by the sacred will our faith commands us to obey."

_What the hell does that mean?_

"Whose sacred will? Like gods or something?" Hange asked incredulously and rightly so because what did God have to do with any of this? When had God come down from his seat on high to help his children when they had cried out in fear? What _right_ had God to decree his will upon us after abandoning us to the Titans?

"I can't answer that. What I can do is provide you with some vague information and a name of an individual that the sacred will in its divine wisdom instructed us to monitor" Pastor Nick explained softly before turning to face me, "Not unlike you and your sister."

_Now we're getting somewhere._

"Monitor?" Hange pressed, and Pastor Nick heaved a deep sigh before meeting her eyes.

"It's a person you know, someone who enlisted within the scout regiment as of this year." Pastor Nick revealed, "A child by the name of Krista Lenz."

My mind reeled when the priest said that name as the image of a young blonde girl with large blue eyes who had been placed in my squad upon return from the 57th expedition came to my mind.

_No. Fucking. Way._

"Who?" Hange asked puzzled only to then gasp in shock as Pastor nick grasped her other arm and shook her silly.

"You must find her with all haste, she is the key." Pastor Nick dictated with a slightly crazed look in his eye, "She may know things that we understand but poorly." 

_Yeah she ain't the only one._

"What about my sister and me?" I asked, unable to help myself, "Why did you try to have us killed?"

"I didn't, I passed on your whereabouts to my superiors, I assume that's where the order came from, though I knew it would likely result in your deaths." Pastor Nick looked down shamefully as he released Hange's arms and took a step back and my body burned hot with hatred. Did he want me to feel pity for him and his mournful display? Well fuck him, he may not have given the order, but he may as well have, he doesn't know a bloody thing about Aurora and me, and he condemned us to undignified death all for _what_!

"Why!?" Levi demanded as he took a menacing step forward, and Pastor Nick recoiled slightly in fear.

"We were monitoring them." Pastor Nick explained hastily, "From the moment they joined the military we have been watching, we had hoped that when they had joined the scouts, they would die outside the walls and their stain would be wiped clean from the earth, but they survived countless times and when the woman was hailed a hero for what she did in Trost, we had to remove her before she became a false prophet."

_False prophet? What is he talking about?_

"They tried to kill them because my cousin outshone your sacred will," Armin asked horrified, and it was only then that I noticed that him, Mikasa and Eren had all moved themselves around me in a show of support, their faces twisted in anger at Pastor Nick's condemning word, and I found myself marvelling at the how old they all looked.

_They aren't kids anymore, and now they have mine and Aurora's back like we always have theirs._

"No, her very existence challenges it, they both do. They should never have been born, the fact that they live comes into direct confrontation with the sacred will." Pastor Nick sniffed making no sense at all, the only confrontation we have ever had was with the Titans, unless...

_The truth is with Grisha. The truth of our blood. The truth about your parents. We are special. Do not let all that we are die here... Grandfather... Grisha.... what did you do?_

"Is that why you called him an abomination?" Hange demanded, snapping me from my thoughts, "Because they threaten your fluffy lord?"

"I don't know why the sacred will fears them, all I know is that they are not permitted to continue down the path they have chosen." Pastor Nick warned solemnly, and I felt a slither of fear run down my spine.

"So, you're saying the order will try to kill them again." Levi surmised as his hands clenched into fists, his eyes cold and deadly.

"I'm afraid this has gone beyond the order now; they will send someone better equipped for the job and for that I am sorry." Pastor Nick lamented as he met my eyes, and I found myself screaming internally at the implications, "Find Krista, she may be able to help with your secrets more than I can." 

_I damn well hope so, otherwise Aurora and I are going to be looking over our backs from the rest of our lives._

"Wait a minute," Hange called out as she turned to look at Levi, "If she's in the 104 recruits then she is on the front lines with Aurora by now -"

"Sasha Braus from the 104th cadet corps reporting" Sasha's loud voice boomed from the back of the room making us all jump and turn towards her, "I was sent with a message to commander Erwin who then gave me a message to give to you Section commander Ma'am!"

_Wait a second... Sasha was at HQ... Where Aurora was sent to._

"Sasha!" I cried out as I dove towards the girl and grasped her shoulders, "Did you see my sister?! Did Aurora make it to HQ before the Titans came?!"

 _Please, please, please_.

"Yes, sir!" Sasha recoiled from me with wide eyes, "Last I saw her she was heading south with section Commander Miche's unit to evacuate the southern villages and to assess the breach."

_Oh shit._


	6. The Siege of Utgard Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Scouts taken refugee in an abandoned castle but as always, shelter isn't so easy to find.

AURORA 

"Spend the night in the creepy tower, sure, I mean nothing ever bad happens in tall creepy towers in the dead of night" I grumbled as I lead a restless Kano into the ruined stables and tied his reigns to a mast before patting the side of his neck to calm him.

I didn't like the look of the place when it was half a mile away, and I didn't like the look of the place being any closer. The tower was a landmark for the ominous if there ever was such a thing and standing now beneath its shadow as the pale moonlight lit up the dark stonework, slithers of ice ran down my spine setting my teeth on edge.

"I know it's not an ideal place to sleep" Gelgar empathised as he came over to pat my shoulder after tying up his horse, "But we can make do for one night."

"At least the moons out now" Nanaba added as she moved toward the entrance and grumbling about how I'd rather have a date with a Titan than stay here for the night, I followed her into the dark abandoned tower of doom.

Entering the dark passageway and climbing an unreasonable amount of steps, we finally entered the main hold of the tower and holding my torch high to spread its light around the circular room, I took in my surrounding and found that the place may not have been as abandoned as I had thought.

"Someone was here not that long ago," I informed Nanaba and Gelgar as I gestured towards the stacked firepit in the centre of the room and the crates with blankets on top of them.

_More than one person maybe?_

"A place this close this close to the wall?" Gelgar asked dubiously as he began to poke around the only storeroom in the tower while the others came up the stairs looking as tired as I felt.

"Bandits probably used it as a hideout" Nanaba surmised as she knelt down in front of the fire and tried to light it, "A sign on the way in said ruins of Utgard castle, I didn't even know there was a historical site around here." 

_Join the scouts they said, we will take you to the best places the walls has to offer!_

Sighing, I walked over to Nanaba and thrust my torch into the firewood and held it there till the kindling caught alight before turning to look at her with a 'really' look to which she shook her head laughing to herself as Gelgar returning from his pillaging.

"Hey take a look at what I just stumbled on." Gelgar crowed as he held up a green bottle that looked suspiciously like contrabanded alcohol with a giant smile on his face.

"You've got to be shitting me" I groaned in exasperation before pointing back at the storeroom, "Put it back."

"I can't really read the label..." Gelgar trailed off as he squinted his eyes at the paper stuck to the bottle and I felt my temper prick at his stupidity, now wasn't the time to get shitfaced, not with Titans up our asses come sun up.

"Are you purposely ignoring me" I snapped, "I said put it back, you can't drink that now!"

"Don't be smart, I'm gonna save it for later." Gelgar defended as he sent a glower my way which I returned unimpressed.

_Yeah, sure you were, and I'm the queen of the walls._

"Jackass," I muttered as I watched him covet his find like a dragon over a treasure horde.

"Bitch" Gelgar retorted without venom, and I felt the corners of my mouth twitch in amusement.

"Wanker" I emphasised with the hand movements and snorts of amusement echoed around the room.

"Okay, that's enough." Nanaba chastised though there was a small smile on her face too as Gelgar and I flipped each other off good-naturedly.

"Rian would have let me drink it" Gelgar commented slyly as I shrugged out of jacket in the fast heating space and winced as parts of my hair that had fallen from my crown braid caught on the collar.

"That's because he's a pushover." I smiled as I began to undo my hair to rebraid it and watched Gelgar shake his head in amusement as he made his way to the stairs leading to the top of the tower.

"We should all get some rest" Gelgar recommended, "We will also take turns in taking watch. Be ready to leave four hours shy of daybreak."

_Sooner the better._

Shaking my hair lose down my back, I ran my fingers through the tats and moaned as my fingers caught a sore spot just behind my left ear. Closing my eyes, I massaged the bump that was leftover from my battle with the Female Titan before opening my eyes and catching both Reiner and Bertolt watching me with vastly different facial expressions as they hastily averted their eyes once they had been caught.

_Something is up with those two and its more than just today's events._

"Come sit," Nanaba gestured for me to sit in front of her, pulling my suspicions away from the two young men, "I will rebraid it for you."

"Thank you" I smiled gratefully as I took my seat before her and heaved my hair over to the side for Nanaba to work her magic, somehow my hair always seemed to do as she told it more than it ever did for me. A sense of calm spread across my body from my head downwards as Nanaba twisted and weaved my mass of curls and I closed my eyes in bliss just enjoying the peace when Krista decided to speak up and break it.

"Excuse me, what if it turns out that wall rose isn't actually compromised?" Krista fretted delicately, and I opened my eyes to gaze at her, "Where do ah...where else could they be coming from?"

_Good question._

"It's our job to find out starting _tomorrow_." Gelgar exacted before he disappeared up the stairs with Lynne on his heels for the first watch and everyone turned back to look at Krista.

"I'm just saying, the situation isn't good sure, but is it as bad as we think?" Krista defended, and I found myself agreeing with her, "You never know that's all."

"She's right, we haven't really seen that many Titans considering they are supposed to have busted through the wall." I stated as Nanaba pushed the last of my pins in and I sat back and leaned into her side, "When Shiganshina fell, the place was crawling with them in minutes, and within an hour they were pouring into Maria."

_And my world turned to ash._

"What was it like?" Connie blurted out, and my eyes snapped to him, more hostile than I intended, "Urgh, sorry."

"It was..." I began as I looked down at my scarred hands, struggling to find the words to explain the worst day of my life, "I thought I was in hell. My neighbours... people I saw every day, were being eaten alive and screaming for someone, anyone to save them. It was the first time my ability was triggered so my body was going nuts, and nothing made sense. I watched half of my family die and then was carried by my brother with the kids to a boat to escape as our home burned." I sniffed and I felt Nanaba's arms wrap around my shoulder before I lifted my stinging eyes back to the solemn faces in the room as a heavy sadness fell on the room, "This doesn't feel like last time, there isn't enough Titans for it to be a true invasion."

_Because if it was, we wouldn't be here right now, we would either be dead or pushed back to wall Sheena._

"Connie," Ymir said gently, breaking the sober silence that had fallen, "What about your village?"

"Totally destroyed." Connie lamented as he met my eyes in empathy, after all, we had both lost our homes now.

"I'm sorry." Ymir sympathised as she cast her eyes down to the fire.

"Nobody got devoured though," Connie added hopefully and I cursed Lynne and her big mouth, "It looked like they all got out, so that's a silver lining at least."

_I hope for his sake that's true because if not, it will crush him._

"I thought you said it was destroyed?" Ymir asked, confused as she turned back to Connie.

"There houses were, but there was no blood or anything, so they must have escaped. It's the only possible explanation, still, though, something I can't get out of my head there was Titan on top of my house, just lying there, staring at me. It couldn't move on its own thank god, but I have no idea why...but it kind of reminded me of my mom..." Connie trailed off uncertain, and Reiner groaned in frustration.

_So that's what he had been trying to say in Ragako when Reiner had bullied him into silence._

"Connie what did I tell you," Reiner grit out, "It was just your imag-"

"ARE YOU FOR REAL!" Ymir howled with laughter as she clutched her stomach and jabbed a finger at Connie, "You actually think your mom might be a titan! Oh, honey as iddy bitty as you are, please! We all knew you were dumb as a bag of rocks but this? Woah man, this takes it to a whole other level!"

_That's unkind._

"Har har have your fun," Connie growled as he crossed his arms sullenly.

"Oh don't stop there if mother darlings a titan then it's only logical to assume dear old daddy is too, basic biology." Ymir said suggestively, and I found my irritation beginning to spike, "Think about it-"

"Okay, I get it!" Connie shouted making his voice echo around the room, pissing me off, "Now fuc-"

"Both of you shut it!" I ordered, and they complied instantly, "You're giving me a headache."

"You should try and get some sleep." Nanaba smiled softly as she pulled me down so I could rest my head on her lap, and I sighed deeply as my anger subsided.

"Your probably right" I conceded as I looked up into her kind blue eyes, "Though I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon not with those things roaming out there."

Sadness filled her eyes then as she gently stroked the top of my head, and as if on instinct, I reached up and caught her hand in mine.

"What is it?" I asked gently, worry etching my face.

"Gelgar told me about Miche," Nanaba muttered, "I just... I hope he is alright."

"Me too," I whispered and hoped against hope that the feeling of dread I had felt as I had watched Miche ride off to buy us time had been just that, a feeling.

"Sooo..." Nanaba smiled suspiciously as she hastily changed the subject, "How're things with the Captain?"

"Really?" I groaned as I brought my hands up to cover my eyes in embarrassment at the same time as Ymir and Reiner disappeared into the storeroom to look for food. 

"Oh yeah," Nanaba chuckled as she pulled my hands down to look me in the eye, "Gelgar and I have been dying to know how all that happened, we've got bets on who made the first move."

"Why am I not surprised?" I scoffed as I rolled my eyes, Levi will absolutely love this.

"Oh, come on, spill it." Nanaba probed as she poked me in the stomach making me laugh, "Have you gone on any dates? Have you done the deed? If so, what's he like? Is he always so moody? Does he kiss with a frown? Ooooh was he the man you told me about 2 years ago when you had _feelings_?"

_She's worse than Hange._

"Urgh" I groaned again though this time I was smiling, "What's with all the ques- AARGH!" I broke off in a wail of borderline pain as my ability suddenly flared to multiple Titans fast approaching, and I rolled onto my stomach before pushing to my feet and scrambling for my weapons as I kicked Henning awake.

_Its night, how can they fucking move at night?!_

"Aurora?" Henning asked sleepily before he too scrambled to his feet at the look of alarm on my face.

"They're here!" I shouted as I hastily donned my jacket, and everyone jumped to their feet, "Everybody to the top of the tower immediately!"

"How can they move!" Connie panicked as we all ran out to the top of the tower, "This shouldn't be happening! The sun went down hours ago!"

Rushing to where Gelgar was hunkered over the battlement, I peered out into the moonlit lands and screamed internally as Titans swarmed us and surrounded the tower. Instantly my hands started shaking as hysteria began to take over, though I wasn't sure if it was the fact that there was no way in hell I was going to survive this or my titan ability pushing me for action that was fuelling it. Both, it was definitely both.

_I'm dead, I'm so fucking dead._

"Hey, guys what the hell is that?!" Connie screamed, and we all turned to look at easily the largest _thing_ I had ever seen as it lumbered its fur-covered body away at a leisurely pace, totally uninterest in us, "It's got to be a Titan but have you ever seen one that big! Look at it! It looks like some kind of beast!"

_Why is it walking away from us? There aren't any villages in that direction so it can't be an abnormal..._

"Wait it's headed for the wall!" Connie panicked as he gestured wildly at the Beast Titan, but my eyes were glued to the mass of Titans below us that were attempting to climb the tower, hunger burning in their abnormally large eyes.

_Levi...my love... I know I promised I would fight to make it back to you... but I don't think I can fight my way out of this one..._

"Hey hey back off! Don't be coming up here! Ain't ya got nothing better to do! Go bother someone else!" Gelgar cried out in fear as he thrashed his arm around in wild gestures.

"I don't think they are listening..." I muttered with a detached voice as the memory of the morning light filtering through Levi's window lit up his sleeping face on the rare occasion he slept in past daybreak, and a single tear rolled down my face at how happy I was in that moment with him.

_He will never know that I died here... I wanted so much more... I wanted...I wanted..._

"I should be drinking right now, dammit! Your standing between me and a tankard of ale!" Gelgar snarled as he withdrew his blades and my nerve finally cracked as hysterical laughter bubbled from my lips as tears rolled down my face, "I've earned the right to get trashed! It's not funny!"

"Has she lost her mind?" Reiner fretted as I threw my head back to the stars cackling before pulling my blades free from their sheaths because this was it, this was my final stand, and maybe I had lost my mind, but if this was to be my end, I would make it such an end that even the Titans would remember me with fear.

_If I'm going into hell, I'm taking as many of those ugly fuckers with me._

"Rookies! Stay where you are, we've got this!" Nanaba ordered as she, Lynne and Henning unsheathed their blades ready, "Let the ODM gear do what it was designed for. ATTACK!"

With a battle cry tearing from my throat, I threw myself from the tower and allowed my instincts to take over, everything became sharp and clear as Titan after Titan fell to my blades as I carved out their napes with my blood singing in battle fury and I lost myself in the violence. 

_At least I tasted this freedom..._

Spinning from another killing arc, my eyes zeroed in on Gelgar's twisting form as he cut the hand of a giant Titan, breaking his blades in the process and I flung myself around to cut the bastard's nape allowing Gelgar the chance to redraw as the Titan fell, crushing its smaller kin beneath its grotesque body.

"Huh, you little ones should watch where you're going!" Gelgar taunted as he grappled to the tower and unclipped his blunted blades.

"I don't think you're one to talk, there is no call to be so reckless." Nanaba chided as she and I grappled onto the wall beside Gelgar, "Did you have to waste your blades?"

"That's just how I do things!" Gelgar avowed before pointing his freshly drawn blade at me with a wicked smile, "Better chalk that one as an assist!"

"Aren't you the fucking hero!" I scoffed before I spotted one of the smaller Titans wiggling free from the body it was trapped beneath and allowed myself to drop from the tower and bring my blades across its nape. Blood fountained from its neck as I managed to decapitate the head entirely and reaching up to wipe the ichor from my eyes, I froze in horror as I clocked the broken-down door leading into the tower.

_Oh shit._

"The door's been kicked in!" I yelled as I threw my grapples out and hurtled to the top of the tower, startling Reiner, Bertolt, Ymir, Connie and Krista with my bloody appearance.

"Titans are in the castle," I panted, and they all recoiled in terror, "Get below and improvise some sort of a barricade! Be careful and only retreat back up here as a last resort! Now hurry, the rest of us will keep them from getting in as best as we can." I ordered before turning and spotting more Titans approaching from the forest to the south, and my heart fell "There are quite a few, this may be it for us, but by God, we'll fight to the last breath, our heart and soul to the cause right! Now go!"

Not waiting for any response, I allowed myself to fall backwards and twisted before engaging my ODM gear and diving back into the fight. Hacking and slashing, I cut my bloody path through as many napes as I could manage to conserve my blades and gas when suddenly as I was making a pass around the tower, I heard the terrified cries of Reiner.

_Where is he?!_

"THEY'RE IN THE TOWER! GET DOWN HERE AND HELP ME!" Reiner screamed, and without thinking, I hurtled my body towards the sound of his voice and spotting a large bow hole, I threw myself through it and landed in the tower just in time to see a Titan break through the wooden door Reiner was attempting to barricade and reach out to grab him. 

_No!_

Running forward I body slammed the big man out of the way just as the Titan's arm came crashing down and my body reacted in a split second. Pain laced down my shoulders when my hands blocked the large arm as the Titan began to bear down its might and yet, somehow, I didn't yield.

“AAAAAHHHHHHH!” I screamed as strength flooded my veins and planting my feet, I heaved with all my might, pushing the Titan's arm away as I continued to scream in effort when suddenly another cry echoed through the room as Bertolt ran forward and speared a pitchfork through the Titan's eyes making the monster wail in agony as it gripped the metal in its eye socket instead of me.

"Give me that!" I snarled as I snatched the handle from Bertolt's shaking grip and began to twist and push the metal deeper into the Titan's eyes, making it scream even more.

"Reiner!" Bertolt called out in worry as he pulled the tall blonde to his feet beside me, "Talk to me man, are we good!?"

_Is_ **_he_ ** _fucking good?!_

"Yes! Listen to me!" Reiner shouted as I began to force the Titan back through the door, "We're gonna make it home! This is not how we die!"

"Good to hear," I snapped as the Titan gained a second wind and began to test my strength "Now Fucking help me!"

"Guys heads up! Incoming!" Ymir's voice hollered from the top of the stairs, and I barely glanced over my shoulder when my eyes widened at the cannon, she, Connie and Krista had manoeuvred to the top of the stairs.

_Aw, thank fuck!_

"Does that have ammo?!" I cried out hopefully as Reiner and Bertolt pushed what remained of the door shut as I held the Titan at bay with shaky arms.

"Yeah, right! Just get out of the way!" Ymir warned, and I knew then that her plan was to push the cannon down the stairs and ram this monster over, which was a great plan, but for it to work I would need to keep the Titan at bay till the last possible second, "Aurora move out of the-"

"JUST PUSH THE DAMN THING ALREADY!" I screamed as I heaved with the last of my unnatural strength as the sound of the cannon rolling down the stairs speed towards me. Suddenly, two pairs of hands wrapped around my arms and waist and I was heaved to the side violently as the cannon crashed into the Titan, trapping it, and I fell back ontop of Reiner and Bertolt with a heavy thud.

"May miracles never cease hazah!" Ymir cheered as she descended the stairs to stand before Reiner, Bertolt and me as we lay on the floor groaning.

"Ymir I could kiss you right now" I laughed in relief as I lay across Reiner and Bertolt's heaving chests.

"I think I would be okay with that." Ymir chuckled as she held out her hand and pulled me to my feet before I turned and offered my hand to Reiner as Ymir pulled Bertolt up. 

"Good thing, it was a little one." Reiner panted as he accepted my hand, and I pulled him to his feet, "There you go saving my life again, keep this up and I'm going to owe you big style."

I recoiled in horror as soon as those words left his mouth and ice shot down my spine sending tingling feeling to my toes as the words Annie Leonhart used to explain why she had spared my life rang through my head clear as a bell.

_Oh god... it's him.....he asked her to spare me..... A life for a life_

Commander Erwin was right, Annie was given her information by a scout, we had been betrayed by one of our own and looking into his golden eyes as they stared at me in relief, I knew it was him, he had betrayed us, he was working with the enemy.

_Reiner....what have you done?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Guys for the Kudos and Subscriptions!  
> as always please feel free to leave a comment :D


	7. The Line Between Friend and Foe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hange and the scouts begin to suspect Reiner and Bertolt after uncovering some new evidence.

EREN 

"Hmmm" Hange hummed thoughtfully as she read over the missive Sasha had just delivered and we all waiting on bated breath to see what had been so crucial that Commander Erwin had thought it necessary for Hange to read it.

"Section commander is something wrong?" Rian asked, his face drawn in concern as his eyes fixed upon the paper in Hange's hand.

"Huh?" Hange startled, "Oh yeah, I was finally able to get my hands on the background report I requested for Annie Leonhart."

"Annie?" I blurted out surprised, her name had been the last one I had been expecting to hear right now considering she was imprisoned underground and had no relevance to the fall of wall Rose.

"Yeah it took longer than I was hoping for, the paper trail is a bit of a catastrophe at the moment, _bureaucracy_ " Hange grumbled as she thumbed back through the papers in her hands, "Any way according to this there were two other cadets in the 104th who hailed from the same region as Annie." 

_what_?

My mouth went dry, and my heart began to race as a dread slithered down my spine at the implications befalling the two names on that paper. Would it be someone I knew well? Would they be my friend? Were they innocent? Were they guilty? 

_Were they like me?_

"I have their names, one Reiner Braun and Bertolt Hoover" Hange stated and just like that my world came collapsing down.

_Not Reiner... no.... he can't... no, I refuse to believe it._

"Not much survives in the way of records and thanks to the chaos five years ago what we have on them is unreliable," Hange explained, and my mind reeled, "However we do know that during the long-range scouting formation their unit was among those intentionally misled into thinking Eren was in the right-wing."

_It isn't him. It cant be._

"Wait just a minute that's the section Annie attacked!" Armin exclaimed, and my eyes snapped to him in anger.

"What?" I snarled, he always does this, says things like we're expected to automatically know what he's thinking, "What does that even mean?"

"Well, it's entirely possible they told Annie where they thought Eren was." Armin theorised as he kept his gaze averted away from me, and I found myself momentarily lost for words. 

_This isn't happening!_

Did he really think that Reiner and Bertolt were behind all of this? The two guys who had taken us under their wing and had made it their mission to look out for us after Aurora and Rian had joined the scouts. I know I had a hard time swallowing that Annie was the female Titan, but that was because I didn't want to believe we were being betrayed by humans, this was different, Reiner and Bertolt joined the scouts, they gave everything for humanity. This wasn't them. 

_It couldn't be._

"Why would they do that?" Sasha asked, confused as she scratched her head and I suddenly found my voice.

"Where are you going with this Armin" I griped before I jabbed a finger at him, "You can't just accuse-"

"I totally agree." Hange interjected as she directed her gaze at Armin, "Coincidence doesn't establish relationship, bearing that in mind I'm curious to know how the three interacted while training. What can you tell me?" 

_We're really going down that road?! It's not them!_

"I knew Bertolt and Reiner were from the same region as Annie, but I never saw them act friendly." Armin admitted, and I exhaled in relief that he was backing off and finally vouching for our comrades.

"Same with me," I concurred, "You would never catch them shooting the breeze and when they did talk it was pretty curt, plus it's not like Annie was very social to begin with."

"Yeah at meals she always seemed to prefer eating by herself, I dunno." Sasha shrugged though her face remained deep in thought as she pondered on our comrades actions and I found my temper rising again.

_They are looking for a reason to find them guilty!_

"I've got nothing," Mikasa began hestitantly, "Except maybe that-"

"Guys!?" I put in before she could go any further, "What are we doing these are our comrades we're talking about! Yeah sure Bertolt never had a lot to say, but Reiner is like everyone's big brother ya know and remember how upset he was when Aurora got hurt?" I defended, and a strange, unsettling feeling took hold of me as I watched the colour drain from Rian's face, "Do you really think he's capable of lying to us?"

_Rian?_

"Eren does have a point," Armin conceded as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Reiner fought the female titan with everything he had, he almost got himself squeezed to death in the process-"

"It's him." Rian suddenly declared, and all eyes shot to him as he ran his hands through his hair, anger evident in his blue eyes, "How could I have been so stupid!?"

"Rian?" Hange pressed, and the look that passed over Rian's face as he turned to look at her had ice running through my veins.

_He knows something._

"Annie said something to us when I challenged her about why she had purposely spared Aurora, she said to us, _A life for a life_." Rian glowered as a dark edge took over his entire persona, and Armin gasped in shock, "At the time, I vaguely wondered when Aurora had saved Annie's life for her to owe her one, but then she transformed and I let it slip my mind, but now I'm sure. Aurora never saved Annie, but she did save Reiner in Trost and he's had a case of hero worship ever since. He had to have asked Annie not to kill her in some twisted sense of honour, her life in debt for his."

My mind clouded with confusion and rage because Rian was right, Annie had said those exact words. A life for a life. But that didn't mean jack shit, so what if Aurora had saved Reiner's life, she had saved mine and his and Mikasa's and Armin's and Jean's, does that make us all guilty too. No, it doesn't, it just means Aurora has a saviour complex. Rian was grasping at straws, and he knew it.

_It's not him._

"When he saw Aurora in the back of the wagon after the Female Titan injured her, Reiner was distressed," Armin began, "He was going on about how that wasn't supposed to happen, how Aurora was supposed to be safe and Bertolt pulled him away saying they had a job-" Armin broke off as his eyes widened and his hands started to shake.

"Armin?" I asked, concerned at the sudden change in him, "What's the matter?"

"When Reiner was being crushed by the Female Titan, he pushed free of her grip at the last minute, afterwards though Annie changed her course, in fact, she ran straight towards where you were," Armin gulped as he slowly turned towards me to meet my eyes, "I mentioned that you might be rear of the centre rank, but there is no way she could have heard me; she wasn't in earshot at the time."

_It's not him. It's not him. It's not him._

"You've got to be kidding." I denied faintly, unwilling to accept what I was hearing.

_I cant. Reiner is my friend. Bertolt is my friend._

"Do you recall if Reiner seemed unusually interested in Eren's location?" Hange inquired very precisely, and I grit my teeth together at the intention behind her question.

"I only brought up his position in the first place because Reiner asked me where I thought Eren and the others might be" Armin confessed with shame, "And something else, once he broke free, the female titan stood there staring at her palm possibly transfixed by something Reiner carved onto it with his blades... maybe Reiner..." Armin trailed off, and a heavy silence fell across the room as horror began to twist on everyone's faces, everyone but me.

"What is wrong with you people?" I seethed, done with their accusations, "The man's been with us from the beginning-"

"What about this, aren't you getting!?" Rian ranted as he took a step towards me, his face flushing with anger and a small auburn-haired woman with big brown eyes jumped out of the crowd to grasp his arm and hold him in place, "Didn't we have this exact same conversation with you about Annie! Just because you don't want it to be true doesn't mean it isn't! Our sister is out there right now with them both ready to put a knife in her bac-"

"Enough!" Hange shouted, and I recoiled though not at the tone of her voice but at the fury in Rian's eyes, he genuinely believed it was them, he genuinely believed Aurora was in danger from Reiner and Bertolt, he thought they would harm her. Doubt began to gnaw at my mind at the conviction behind Rian's anger, and for the first time since hearing their names, I began to question Reiner and Bertolt's true motives.

_What if he's right... what if I'm stood here defending them, and they are guilty.... oh god what if they hurt Aurora?_

"All of you listen up," Hange hollered and gathered everyone's focus, "If we cross paths with the pair in question, don't give them any indication of what we have just discussed and under no circumstances are you to broach the topic of Annie Leonhart in their company. Before we can ascertain whether they were co-conspirators, we must find, lure and contain them underground. Right everybody that's the plan!"

"Right let's go then!" I urged suddenly filled with an unrelenting purpose to have Aurora back in my line of sight, and I grabbed Mikasa's arm to pull her with me for the exit.

"Calm down Eren." Captain Levi drawled, and I stopped dead in my tracks as I watched him push off the wall and make his way towards me, "I need everybody to listen, we're going our separate ways, that's how it has to be. Erwin had his reasons for throwing this ragtag squad together, but right now this is all riding on you." Captain Levi gave me a pointed look which pilled the pressure on before turning to face Armin.

"Armin, you and Hange are the brain trust." Captain Levi stated, "Use your combined knowledge to cook up some kind of solution."

"Right, sir." Armin nodded, face determined.

"Mikasa, Rian put your skills to good use, protect Eren at all costs." Captain Levi directed, and both Rian and Mikasa nodded solemnly before the Captain turned back to me with hard eyes, "And _you_ don't screw this up. Check your emotions Eren and learn the meaning of the word restraint. If you let yourself succumb to blind rage then all hope is lost. We can't afford another mistake."

_Like in the Stohess, like in the forest, so many died because I couldn't control my emotions._

"Sir!" I saluted and did my best to not disappoint the Captain. Nodding to himself, Captain Levi turned towards Rian who was already watching him with a veiled expression on his face and met him stare for stare. 

"Tell Aurora that I … that I …" Captain Levi stammered, and I felt my jaw drop at the look of strife on his face as he tried to get the words out, I had never seen him look so unsure of himself, ever!

"I know," Rian smiled sadly as he stepped forward and clapped the Captain on the shoulder, much to his annoyance, "As much as I don't wanna, I know and I'll tell her."

Rian made to move towards me to take our leave when the Captain's hand snaked out and grasped Rian's arm, making us both look back towards the Captain in confusion.

"Bring her back to me." Captain Levi instructed, but there was an oddly vulnerable look in his eyes as he stared at Rian that made me think it was more than an order, he was almost begging that Aurora be returned to him.

_Is that what being in love looks like?_

"Believe me, she will bring herself," Rian scoffed as he removed the Captain's arm and took a step back, "Stubborn to the bone that one."

Smiling softly to himself, Captain Levi took a step back before turning away and disappearing in the crowd of green, and I found it strangely humbling to know that despite all that had happened these past six years and all that was going on now, Aurora and the Captain had managed to find each other and still found enough humanity left in each other to love, even after all they had endured.

"Come on, we've got someplace to be," Rian said softly as he passed by and ruffled my hair, causing my whole body to stiffen as light blinded my eyes.

***********

 _Sunlight shone down upon the ruined streets as the Walls began to violently shake, and the screams of the innocents started to echo through the air, but all I could see was_ **_her._ **

_Lying upon the shaking earth with her short cut red hair falling around her face like a fiery halo, Aurora lay motionless and pale as a large splinter of wood jutted from her shoulder with blood poured from her ears and nose down the sides of her deathly white face, adding to the growing pool beneath her._

_Her mismatched grey and green eyes stared up at me as I ascended above and smiling with bloody teeth, she gave her last smile to a world that had been so cruel._

*************

_Aurora... I don't understand...she..._

"Eren?" Rian's called out as his pain twisted face peered down into mine as he gave my shoulder a rough shake bringing me back to the chaos rushing around us as my heartbeat painfully fast. Blinking away the last of that horrifying image, I focused in on his face and felt my stomach drop as a trickle of bright red blood rolled from his nostril onto the red-blonde stubble that covered his upper lip.

_He's bleeding... like Aurora did..._

"Rian..." I whispered hoarsely as my wide eyes focused in on his pained ones, "what's happening to us?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank your for the comments and Kudos! they are greatly appreciated :D


	8. Our Actions Are All That Remains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Facing death, Aurora has to decide how she wants to live her final moments

AURORA 

I had to stay calm. I kept on repeating that over and over inside my head as Reiner's golden eyes narrowed at me as I stumbled away from him straight into the arms of Reiner's friend and likely accomplice.

"Hey, you okay?" Bertolt fretted as he grasped my shoulder's to steady me, and I cursed myself for flinching when he touched me, "You don't look so good."

_Get it together and calm the fuck down!_

"Urgh yeah, I'm fine... just give me a sec I need to cut its nape, then we can head back upstairs," I said emotionless as my body trembled with the effort to not give myself away. Shifting out from under Bertolt's grip, I freed myself from his hand and went to retrieve my blades that I had dropped when I had rushed to save Reiner's life as my stomach twisted painfully in fear.

_Kill the Titan, get them all upstairs then get back to Gelgar and Nanaba and tell them what I know, from there we can work out-_

"Aurora!" Reiner screamed, and my heart stuttered as I realised that I had completely ignored what my body was screaming at me. Spinning around on my heel, I barely had time to scream as the large saliva dripping teeth lunged towards me when I was suddenly shoved out the way.

"REINER NO!" Bertolt cried as I collided with the floor just as Reiner's pained screams filled the room and twisting around, I stared upward in horror as the Titan that had been moments ago, ready to sink its teeth into my head had its teeth into Reiner's forearm as he cried out in pain.

_I don't understand…He saved me… he threw himself in the way…_ **_why_ ** _?_

Scrambling forward, I grabbed my blades and rushed to my feet to cut the Titan down when I froze in disbelief at what I was seeing. Grunting with effort, Reiner hoisted the Titan almost double his height onto his back as it continued to gnaw on his arm and began to painstakingly shuffle towards the bow hole as sweat poured down his determined face.

_He's going to throw it and him out the window..._

"Holy shit" Connie swore as he rushed down the stairs, "Wait... are you gonna jump out the window with it!?"

"I have no choice." Reiner gritted out as he stumbled towards the opening and began to push the Titan still attached to his arm out the window as my mind and heart battled with itself. Reiner was the spy that had led to Annie killing unspeakable numbers of my comrades, he was in league with the monsters that destroyed my home, that killed my grandfather and Carla and yet he had sacrificed himself to save my life. Do I let him die? Do I save him?

_If we're going to die here anyway, shouldn't I kill them now and exact justice? Even if they are unarmed and defenceless?_

"Just wait! I think I can cut its jaw open!" Connie cried out as he fumbled for his knife, putting an end to my internal debate and reaching up towards the Titans jaw he began to cut away at the muscle supporting it. Once free, Reiner fell back into Bertolt's waiting arms, and I rushed forward without thinking and slammed a high kick into the Titan's gut pushing it from the tower and watched it fall to the ground below as I made up my mind.

_I may be a killer, but I'm not a murderer, if I'm going to die tonight, I'm not going to have that on my soul. Gelgar and Nanaba can decide what we do with them._

"Thank you," I said somewhat begrudgingly and schooled my face into an emotionless mask before turning back around to face Reiner and his bloody arm before moving back down the stairs, not once meeting his eyes. Moving to stand over the Titan trapped beneath what remained of the cannon, I slashed down across its nape before turning to the others more in control of myself.

"Barricade the door, and someone see to Reiner," I ordered as I returned to the bow hole and climbed onto the ledge, "I will try to make sure no more get in."

"Ma'am wait!" Krista cried, but it was too late as I allowed myself to fall forward and engaged my ODM gear before throwing myself towards the first Titan that crossed my path and cutting deep into its leg muscles, I watched Gelgar descended from above and carve out its nape with deadly precision. 

Spinning away, I grappled upwards and attacked the largest of the Titan's assaulting the tower and ripped out its nape before attaching to the tower and landing on the side beside Gelgar and Nanaba to take an assessment of the work we had done and as my eyes roamed over the graveyard of Titan corpses I felt a flicker of hope bloom in my chest.

_Well fuck me, we've actually managed to cut down the force by more than half._

"That's mostly it for the big ones." Gelgar panted as a small smile pulled at his lips, "Good thing we have this tower."

"Yeah, no kidding, I think we might just survive the night." Nanaba laughed breathlessly, and that flicker of hope in my chest soared like a burning flame, we had managed something impossible, we were going to survive but of course that left one teeny tiny _massive_ problem.

_What do we do with Reiner and Bertolt?_

"We will check on the recruits." Lynne hollered from above us, and she and Henning took off towards the top of the tower while I fretted about what to do next.

"We have a problem" I stated and leaned into my harness so I could turn to see Gelgar and Nanaba's faces.

"What are you talking about?" Gelgar asked puzzled as his eyes darted between a few smaller Titans and me that were pathetically clawing at the base of the tower, making no impact what so ever.

"Erwin was right," I began getting both Gelgar's and Nanaba's undivided attention, "There are more spies in the 10-" a loud roaring suddenly ripped through the air, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge as I searched around frantically for the source.

"What the hell is that noise?!" Nanaba shouted over the ear-deafening roaring, and when I turned to look at her, my eyes widened in fear as a large chunk of rock sailed through the air at a terrifying speed towards us.

"TAKE COVER!" I screamed and moved my arms to shield my head but the boulder missed the tower entirely and crashed just off to the side. Coughing as my chest filled with dust that had been blown up, I squinted through the cloud and gasped in horror as my eyes fell on the mangled corpses of our horses, including my Kano.

_Kano...but... without them, we can't escape..._

"The Horses..." Nanaba gaped as the dust settled and the roaring of a Titan had my head snapping towards the wall to see the Beast Titan we had seen before atop of it stretching his arm behind him as if to-

_Oh, god, no!_

"INCOMING!" I screamed in warning, but it was far too late, the Beast Titan had already launched his projectile, and it was rocketing towards at such a speed that we would need a god ordained miracle to stop what was to come. Hopelessness filled my heart as the boulder crashed into the top of the tower, and I watched with wide almost disbelieving eyes as Lynne and Henning were blown from the tower and rag-dolled limply through the air.

"LYNNE! HENNING!" Nanaba wailed in heartache and shot off after them despite the debris falling down towards us and crying out in terror I released my hooks and pushed with all my gas, grabbing Nanaba on my way past and swinging us around the debris in time to grab hold of Henning's body and bring him back to the tower at the same time as Gelgar retrieved Lynne.

Landing on the partially collapsed tower top, I gently guided Henning to the ground from mine and Nanaba's arms and didn't need to check for a pulse to know he had died instantly as his wide blue eyes were already unseeing as they stared straight through me.

"Oh shit!" Connie exclaimed as he and the other cadets ran out up onto the tower. As I leaned forward and closed Henning's eyes, my tears splashed against his cooling corpse not in loss for my comrades, though I felt that sharply, but out of sheer unfiltered, unbridled rage, a rage so hot I feared it would set me on fire with its purpose to rip that Beast Titan, because that fucking _monster_ wasn't just a titan, oh he was so much more than that.

My whole body began to shake, and my lower lip trembled as I turning my hate-filled eyes towards the wall where the bastard was sat roaring out his commands, and the twisting feeling of my ability alerting me to more Titans approaching fast tugged at my stomach only adding to the fire in my veins. What Titan threw boulders, what Titan targets horses to cuts off chances of escape? What Titan plans a coordinated attack? No, this bastard wasn't just a Titan, he was intelligent, this was a human wrapped in a titan body, just like the female, just like Eren and we were being fucked with.

_No wonder we couldn't explain what had happened at Ragako, we weren't taking the actions of a human into account. He was behind all of it, he trapped us here, he killed Lynne and Henning, and he killed my fucking horse!_

"They're dead." Gelgar lamented as he laid Lynne's lifeless body next to Hennings, "They died instantly."

My breath was coming out ragged as I struggled to get a grip on myself and I barely noticed the approaching footsteps till they were right behind me and a bloody hand reached over to gently grip my shoulder making me recoil violently as I saw the misplaced _false_ pity in his golden eyes.

"Aurora-"

"Don't touch me!" I hissed at Reiner, making the large man flinch away from the venom in my voice before I turned to Nanaba and Gelgar and thrust one of my last two remaining blades at the hairy fuck on the wall, "He's behind this, that fucking monkey!"

"Heads up guys we've got more twice as many as before!" Connie cried out, alerting me to what I already knew as he flapped in panic at the edge of the battlement.

"You've got to be kidding me" Gelgar shuddered as he wiped the back of his hand against his forehead.

"He is timing these attacks as some part of a larger strategy." Nanaba shook her head angrily as she turned her fierce gaze towards the Beast Titan as he lumbered to his feet and began his descent on into the lands of Maria content to leave our fate at the hands of his pets.

"We're being toyed with!" I spat as I detached my blunted blade and clipped on my last blade, ripping it from its sheath, before reaching down to check my gas and swearing loudly.

_FUCK! I've used the last of my reserves! FUCK FUCK FUCK!_

"Nanaba, do they have any gas left?" I asked as I gestured to the corpses of our comrades and rushing over to check, Nanaba froze before she slowly turned towards me.

"No," she gulped, "And Henning's canisters are too damaged to use safely."

Dread broke through my anger then, what was I going to do if I didn't have any gas? I was the best here with ODM equipment, that was fact, if I wasn't in the air, then we would all die a lot sooner, and if I could give them any time at all, I would buy it with whatever I had left but I had to get in the air. 

"Give me what's left of yours," I ordered as I took a step towards Nanaba while disengaging my canisters.

"No," Nanaba stated firmly making me stop in my tracks and stare at her in angry disbelief, was she really refusing me on this? She knew damn well we had a longer chance with me doing the fighting, so why was she refusing?

"What do you mean, 'no'?" I demanded, but Nanaba didn't answer me, all she did was shake her head slowly as tears filled her eyes and I knew then that she was refusing not for the greater good but to spare me for a few extra hours just. I took a determined step towards her, but she stepped towards the edge of the ruined tower and held her hand out to me, making me halt as her eyes hardened. 

"I said no" Nanaba stressed every word and I felt my heartbeat in my ears. 

"Fine!" I snarled as fresh tears began to roll down my face, and I turned to Gelgar expectantly, "Gelgar swap canisters."

"Not today kiddo, you're staying up here." Gelgar smiled sadly, and I let a cry of frustration as more tears burned my eyes, they couldn't be doing to this to me, this was all I had left to give, and they were taking it from me.

"You're the leader!" I shouted desperately, not willing to give up on saving just one of them, "You stay up here and lead!"

"Your right, I am the leader, and I'm ordering you to stay, you got that!" Gelgar yelled as his lip trembled and I could stop the heaving sobs that started to rip from my chest, they were going to leave me here, they were going to fight without me.

"Please..." I begged like I had never begged before, "Please ... don't do this, I can't... please... just let me...please Gelgar... Nanaba...."

"You ready?" Gelgar asked Nanaba as he turned away from me, unable to look at my face any longer though I could see a sheen on his eyes that showed he was fighting back tears.

"Yeah, let's go." Nanaba sniffed, and they both turned around and dove off the edge of the ruined tower with me scrambling after them with an agonised cry.

"NO PLEASE!" I screeched as multiple pairs of hands grabbed hold of me and pulled me back, "GET THE HELL OFF ME! NANABA! GELGAR!"

The tell-tale whoosh of air and the zipping of wires rang through my ears and with a cry of rage, I shoved Connie and Bertolt off of me and ran over to Lynne and Henning's bodies and quickly restocked my blades with what remained of theirs before trying to disengage Henning's canisters prepared to take the risk when a terrified wail ripped through the air.

"GELGAR!" Nanaba wailed and abandoning my fumblings, I raced over to the edge of the tower and froze in anguish as Gelgar's lifeless body was being stuffed into a Titan's waiting mouth and Nanaba being slowly pulled by two Titans as she screamed.

_Why is this happening?_

"NO NO NO NO!" Connie shrieked though for some reason his voice seemed far away, almost as if he was in another room to me, a wall between him and me.

"Krista what are you doing! Stop!" Ymir chastised, and I was vaguely aware of her moving beside me, "The tower is going to give any second. You have to stay still!"

"THEY ARE DYING IN OUR PLACE!" Krista bellowed, and it was then that her voice pierced through the fog and my mind clicked back into awareness.

"STOP! IM SORRY, DADDY! ILL BE A GOOD GIRL! I PROMISE! DADDY NOOO!" Nanaba screamed dementedly as she lost her mind before her shrieks of pain were cut off as her body was torn in half and her blood splattered the hungry dripping jaws of the Titans waiting to devour her.

Blood-curdling wails suddenly filled my ears, and it took me a second to realise that the chilling noise was coming from me as I watched Nanaba and Gelgar be torn limb from limb and devoured by the frenzy of Titans below us.

 _It's happening again.... just like Carla... like grandfather.... uncle Arlet.....Grisha... they are dying...._

My knees gave out from under me as I slid down the stone battlements with my heart tearing itself apart, the image of Nanaba being savagely ripped apart dug itself deep inside my brain and all I could do to numb it was to hit my head repeatedly off the cold stone surface to try and force the sight away through pain.

"God damn it! Now what! We sit around waiting for the tower to collapse and let ourselves get eaten alive!" Connie shouted as he grasped my head and forced me back to stop my self-harm before he slapped me hard across the face, and the pain brought everything into focus, "Aurora! Stop going crazy and tell us what to do!"

My eyes found their way to his, and I could see my tear-streaked face in the reflection of his full, fearful eyes. I looked so lost, perhaps I was, after all, what could we do? We had no way out of this, even if I was to suddenly find some supplies there was nothing I could do that would change the outcome, the best I could offer them now was a way out that didn't include being eaten by Titans, that I could spare them at least. 

"There isn't anything we can do, all I can give you is this" I whispered as I held out my blade and Connie's face fell in understanding as he sat down beside me and sighed heavily.

"This is such bullshit," Connie swore as the tower shook violently, threatening to give way, "Were going to die without finishing what we started."

"I'm never going home." I lamented as the memories of Shiganshina on a midsummer's day flitted through my mind, and I suddenly remembered that I had two of the bastards in front of me that I could personally thank right here and now for taking it from me.

_I'm going to die here, but I can make sure that I took those two bastards down before me, I could make sure they knew **why** and fuck if it's right or not!_

Gripping my blades tighter, my dead eyes moved between Reiner and Bertolt and both men took a step away from, their eyes narrowed in suspicion as I pushed myself to my feet. I would give them a far quicker death than Annie gave my comrades and the people of Stohess, it would be a mercy really, wouldn't it? They wouldn't die like Nanaba and Gelgar just did, they should count that as a blessing.

"No, this isn't over yet." Krista ranted as she stepped in front of me, cutting off my path to the traitors and my eyes moved to her face, "If I could find a weapon id go down fighting and then I can at least be worthy of the people who died fighting for us."

"Krista, please, enough with that kind of crap already!" Ymir snapped as she grasped the small blonde's shoulders, "Don't use their deaths as an excuse, they didn't sacrifice their lives so you could fulfil some fantasy about going out in a blaze of glory."

"You know that's not what I meant." Krista cried as she grasped Ymir's arms desperately and oddly Levi's face shone in my head as I watched what was clearly the desperation of two people who were in love with each other and were about to lose everything that mattered.

"And you damn well know you're not like Aurora and the others," Ymir accused as she shook Krista violently, "They are in this to give humanity a fighting chance, deep down all you care about is having the word hero carved on your epitaph." 

"That's not it at all..." Krista sobbed, and Ymir shook her head angrily as she released the small girl and took determined steps towards Connie.

"Connie, where is that knife you had?" Ymir asked carefully, maybe she wanted to take that painless option I had spoken about but would rather she do it herself, a last act of defiance.

"Why?" Connie asked, confused.

"Just give it here." Ymir pressed without explaining herself.

"Fine." Connie relented as he handed her the small blade he had on his person, "Whatever."

"Your very sweet, thanks" Ymir smiled as she patted Connie on the head condescendingly and the smaller boy swatted her hand away.

"What do you even need it for?" Connie asked incredulously, and I had been about to answer for her when sunlight suddenly shone onto the tower, signalling the arrival of the dawn I was named for, illuminating the last of us.

"Not much... I'm…. just gonna give them a little hell." Ymir mumbled with a slightly crazed look on her face that had chills running down my spine, that wasn't the look of someone who was going to end it, that was the look of someone who was about to do something incredibly stupid.

"Okay then, so do you have a plan?" Reiner asked hopeful, and I once again gripped my blades tighter as I watched him shift towards Ymir, if I was going to do this, I would have to do it soon.

"If I do, we will learn what it is together." Ymir smiled to herself as she moved towards the edge of the tower only to be blocked by Krista with tears streaming from her big blue eyes.

"Ymir..." Krista shook her head in denial, not sure what to make of what was happening, not that any of us did anymore.

"Krista, listen to me." Ymir pleaded as she grasped Krista's face with both her hand and my heart lurched at the scene, "I realised that you've probably forgotten.... but since we're facing the end, try to think back. Remember that oath we made on the snowy mountain? I have no business telling you how to live your life, it's not my place, so I guess when you break it down, this is really more of a hope."

_I can't watch this, it's breaking my heart._

"Krista live a life you can be proud of." Ymir ordered, and fresh tears rolled down my face as I sheathed my blades and let out a shuddering breath, "Never forget the promise we made."

_Live a life you can be proud of.... I am not a murderer._

Pressing her forehead to Krista's, Ymir breathed in a deep breath, and I started moving forward with speed because I knew what was coming next. Spinning away, Ymir ran at the edge of the tower and jumped over the edge as she brought the blade and her free hand high above her head.

"Ymir wait!" Krista cried as she ran after Ymir but was too late to catch her as she fell from sight over the side of the tower, "YMIR!"

Rushing after Krista to drag her back from the edge, blinding erupting from below as I grabbed hold of Krista's shirt so bright that it burned my eyes, yet I was unable to look away as a scorching gust of wind blew my hair back from my face and the chilling scream of a Titan roared into the early morning sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos! I love you guys!


	9. The Tale of the Hawke Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin Summons Levi after the scouts leave to introduce him to someone with an interesting story.

LEVI

I walked through the echoing corridor towards Erwin's office as per his summons with a silent Pastor Nick as he followed behind me like a dejected puppy dog, feeling sorry for himself though for what reason I could not fathom. After all, it wasn't like he had a hand in the attempted murder of two officers in the Survey Corps that had fought for his right to live, or that he had knowledge that could contribute to the survival of mankind but had chosen to keep it to himself, oh wait.

 _Useless piece of shit_.

Coming to a stop outside Erwin's office where two scouts were waiting on hand, I shoved Pastor Nick forward towards the nearest scout before grasping hold of Erwin's door handle.

"Don't let him out of your sight," I ordered, "And if he tries to make a run for it, you have my permission to get creative."

"Eeerr yes sir." the scout said uncertainly as his eyes darted between Pastor Nick and me and I decided I'd let him figure that one out on his own and went on ahead into Erwin's office.

"You summoned me eyebrows." I quipped as I walked into the room and found that Erwin had company, _old_ company.

"Yes, but first, is our guest comfortable," Erwin asked as he turned away from the elder before him and looked at me expectantly.

"Hmmm quite," I drawled as I assessed the man with his bushy white beard and equally shaggy white hair, "Who is this?"

"Ah yes, Levi let me introduce to you Jannick Becker, a very kind citizen who has come out of his way to tell us a fascinating story." Erwin smiled as he gestured to Jannick, who raised his eyebrow at Erwin unimpressed.

"Interesting way to describe forcing someone out of their home and up here against their will." Jannick scoffed, and I growled under my breath, not in the mood to be fucked around with, Humanity was falling and we had more important places to be.

"I think we have bigger issues at hand, don't you?" I snapped as I shook my head at Erwin, he should be out there leading our men not playing house with this old bastard.

"Jannick, why don't you tell my Captain what you just told me, and spare no details." Erwin implored, and Jannick sighed heavily before twisting in his seat to fix me with his steely blue eyes, and I knew then that this old-timer had something more about him, a certain hardness that came from a rough life.

"I knew Rowan Sparhawke when he lived in the underground, we were friends." Jannick shared, and my eyes snapped back to Erwin, demanding an explanation.

"I sent some scouts down into the underground city to the house where we found records of the Sparhawke name" Erwin explained as he gestured to the free seat in front of his desk next to Jannick and I took it with narrowed eyes, "We didn't find any evidence of such to help us with our problem. However, we did find Jannick here who put up quite the fight in denying our scouts access to the property."

_Somehow, I find that hard to believe._

"What business do you have fighting with soldiers, don't you know you're an old man?" I sassed not carrying if the man was offended though judging by his deadpanned face, he wasn't impressed by me either. 

"Son, I've forgotten more than you will know in your entire life so unless you want me to give you a smack upside the head, I suggest you shut the fuck up and listen because I'm not repeating myself anymore." Jannick drawled, and my respect for the man doubled as a small smirk graced my lips, I knew the man had a bit more to him than meets the eye.

"My apologies elder, do continue" I retorted and sat back in my seat and gave the prickly old goat my undivided attention for now.

_This better be useful._

"I'm from the underground, born and raised, only seen the light of day a few times in my life. Momma was whore, daddy was the unfortunate who got stuck, but he loved me well enough so I can't complain. We lived in those shitty board houses that threw together 3 or 4 families under the same roof, real cosy like." Jannick described and I smiled to myself because the first home I shared with Isabel and Farlan had been in a shithole just like he described, the only difference was it was full of low life thugs and not families.

"I know them well." I reminisced, and Jannick eyes narrowed in scrutiny as he gave me a thorough assessment after my reply.

_He didn't peg me being from the underground, too clean probably._

"I first met Rowan Sparhawke when I was about 5," Jannick began, and I couldn't help but wonder how Aurora would feel about hearing what this man was about to say about her Grandfather, a man she knew so little about, "He was a few years older, and he lived in the same board house with his Ma Heidi, his Da Flynn and his sister Genevieve though everyone just called her Jenny, she was older than Rowan by a good 4 or 5 years. A real hothead, tall and pale with massive red curls and grey and green eyes that could see right through ya, Rowan and Flynn had 'em too, one eye was green the other was grey, I haven't met a soul since with eyes like that or the red hair they all had. Talk about a strong bloodline."

_Sounds familiar._

"Anyway, they kept to themselves mostly, Heidi was a seamstress, but I never knew what Flynn did, to be honest, the man scared most people and me too, my momma told me to stay away from him after she learned I was kicking around with Rowan, she said he wasn't right, and I believed her." Jannick continued on with his story, and my interest was piqued, after all, Aurora had told me herself once that the only man she had ever been scared of before me was her Grandfather and if what this man is telling us is true, then it seems the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

"Why?" I asked as I watched the man for any sign he was lying, which was no doubt why Erwin had invited me here, that and I would have taken issue with learning this second hand especially when it concerned my redhead who was fighting for us as we speak.

"Flynn used to beat Rowan and Jenny, and I don't mean like my Momma would beat me if I dropped something or sassed her, I mean beat the living hell out of them. They would always be sporting some nasty bruise or injury, but it was strange, they didn't behave like abused kids, they worshipped their father." Jannick shook his head as if he couldn't believe the reasoning behind such behaviour and my eyes flitted to Erwin who was watching me for my reaction. Again this sounded all too familiar as both Aurora and Rian had stated on more than one occasion that their Grandfather had beaten them, but unlike Rowan, his grandchildren didn't share the hero worship he did for his abuser though I could tell from the way Aurora spoke about her Grandfather she was ashamed that she had never made him proud, which was ridiculous.

_He should have been proud of her regardless, he should have been proud of them both._

"How do you mean?" I pressed for further clarification.

"Rowan would always say it was for a good reason," Jannick ground his teeth, the memory clearly uncomfortable for him, "That they were special and their daddy was helping them to become stronger, and it did, Jenny was strong, she used to beat up all the local bullies that tried to hurt me or any other of the smaller kids in our board house, and that's how it happened." Jannick grieved as I forlorn look of a heartache decades-old, but no less raw filled his eyes.

"I didn't know at the time, but the Sparhawke family kept to itself for a reason, they didn't really interact with anybody and Heidi was their main source of income, she went out for the family, not Flynn, he stayed home with the kids mostly beating the shit out of them and teaching them how to use a knife and how to fight" Jannick sighed sadly as he eyes drifted away from mine and I put the pieces together.

"They were hiding in plain sight," I stated, and Jannick nodded in agreement.

"Yeah they were, took me a while to work that out but one day Jenny, Rowan, me and my kid sister were down the market place running errands when Jenny and my sister were spotted by a couple a kid snatchers, long story short they tried to take the girls probably to sell them to a whorehouse as is the business in the underground and Jenny killed one of them," Jannick explained, and I felt my mouth part in shock.

_Aurora did the exact same thing with slavers to save Eren and Mikasa, what are the odds that history repeats itself in such a specific way._

"How old was she?" I asked more out of curiosity than a need to know the actual information, I suppose it was to see just how similar Aurora was to her great aunt without ever having met her.

"14." Jannick recalled and again my eyes found Erwin's again who nodded slightly to let me know he understood the importance, "It was unlike anything I'd ever seen up until then, I mean I was only about 7 or 8, but even then I knew I was seeing something beyond what a 14-year-old girl should have been able to do, funny thing though, it came as a total shock to Jenny too, almost like she didn't know her own strength."

The memory of the day Aurora and I had gone to Trost flashed to the front of my mind as the words of the old hag of a soothsayer rang in my ears, sending a slight chill down my spine.

_"Power resides in her blood, and before her time is done, the world will know it too."_

"What happened then?" I swallowed as I suppressed the unsettling feeling that was beginning to take hold because it was becoming more and more clear that Hange's theory about the Sparhawke bloodline being special was entirely accurate.

"MPs turned up, asked some questions. There had been plenty of witnesses that told 'em that Jenny was only defending herself and my sister, the MPs let her go, we all went home and that was that or so we thought. It was a week later when she was killed, her parent too." Jannick sniffed as his face scrunched up and once again I found myself comparing Aurora to her deceased aunt, because like Jenny, Aurora had drawn attention to her family by revealing herself in the courtroom and just like all those years ago, 'cutthroats' had turned up to kill her and her brother.

"By cutthroats, right?" I tested and didn't fail to notice the small smile that pulled at Erwin's lips as he waited for me to hear what he already had.

"It wasn't no cutthroats boy," Jannick snapped, and my eyes narrowed as I waited for him to confirm our theory, "It was MPs that did this evil."

_Fuck...That I hadn't been expecting...The order of the walls and now MPs, how far up does this go?_

"That's a damning statement," I condemned, "What proof do you have?"

"I saw it with my own eyes." Jannick snarled, not liking his word doubted in the slightest, "It was late, Momma was out working, and daddy got himself drunk, he didn't like that Momma still played the game. He was a good father, but when he drank, he would say awful things, so I went to sit outside till he passed out, that's when I saw 'em. They came dressed in dark cloaks, but even then I knew what they were, that and the rifles and the military issued boots gave 'em away, and when they piled into our board house, I was curious as to what they were doing there. So, I climbed the side of the building, following them and watched as they kicked in the Sparhawke's front door through the window and-" Jannick broke off abruptly as he ran a hand down his face and sighed shakily.

"And what?" I pressed as I sat forward in my chair.

"They pointed their rifles at Heidi and Jenny so Flynn wouldn't attack them with the knife he had grabbed, and then they ransacked the place looking for something, I had assumed it was Rowan, but they never asked about him, they just kept repeating 'Who have you told?' over and over, but Flynn refused to answer. They didn't find anything in the house, and instead of leaving like I thought they would, they killed the three of em, cut their throats from ear to ear and left them to bleed out in their home." Jannick mourned as he turned his head away and I knew he wasn't telling us the whole truth, those MPs did more than kill that family, it was written all over his body, he had seen something dark and twisted, something worse than killing that had caused deep trauma.

"They didn't just kill them, did they?" I asked as my face twisted in disgust because I knew precisely what I was going to hear next.

"No" Jannick sighed as he looked down at his hands with tears in his eyes, "They made Flynn watch as they raped his daughter and then they made him watch as they cut his wife's throat and then Jenny's. He screamed and wailed like a man who had lost his mind before they killed him too. They did these monstrous things, these men who were supposed to protect us, they did all this while little Rowan hid under the floorboards and watched."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for the Kudos! I'm so happy your enjoying the story:D


	10. The Tale of the Hawke Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin and Levi hear more of Rowan Sparhawke's story

ERWIN

Levi's face twisted in disgust as he heard the story of how the Sparhawkes of the underground met their untimely ends, and I felt a touch of sorrow for the family because this story was all too close to home.

_What men won't do to each other._

"He was only 11, and small for his age, we all were." Jannick continued on as Levi's eyes remained riveted to his face, "That's what happens when there isn't enough food, you don't grow right, that and he hadn't hit his growth spurt yet. He did grow into a big bastard once he started eating good though, towering head and height over most people."

_I wonder if that's why Levi is the height he is, a lack of food throughout most of his young life._

"Anyway, I slid up the window and entered the room, I dunno why I did that, maybe I was hoping that Jenny wasn't really dead. I didn't fully understand the concept of death myself, but I learnt it that day. I remember crying over her body when the floorboards started to creak, and that's when I saw Rowan's fingers poking through the gaps. He was trapped 'cos his daddy's dead body was on top of where he was hiding, so I helped him out, and when Rowan came out from hiding covered in his daddy's blood, he was clutching this big ole' book like it was the most important thing in the world." Jannick explained, and that was the bit I found most interesting about his story, and I hoped Levi would see it too.

"What was the book?" Levi quizzed not failing to disappoint as his eyes flitted back to me before moving back to Jannick's lined face.

"It was a family book, he wouldn't tell me what was in, and I can't read so I never learned what it said, I did peak in it once though, there was a lot of writing and some interesting drawings of people and weapons and one of the walls and some Titans but Rowan never explained any of it to me," Jannick shrugged as if it was nothing, not understanding the implications of what he had just described but I did and so did Levi, "He said if I knew what was in that book I would end up like his family, I stopped asking after that."

_Rowan Sparhawke knew about the Titan within the walls, that could explain why the order was after him, it didn't explain how he knew though or who wrote it in that book._

"What happened after they killed his family?" Levi moved Jannick along, eager to hear the rest of Rowan's quite remarkable story that lead to the birth of his equally remarkable grandchildren.

"I took Rowan to my momma, I told her some men had broken in and had done bad things to Rowan's family, she didn't believe me though when I said it had been MPs, she smacked me hard and told me not to say that again. I remember her being afraid." Jannick frowned to himself before shaking his head and continuing on with his story, "She took Rowan in after that, but he never stuck around long, neither did I for that matter. As soon as we were old enough, we were out in the city earning our way with petty theft and low-level crime to make ends meet. Story of the underground."

_Just like Levi, I wonder if Aurora knows she willing choose to fall in love with a man that had such a similar story as her dead Grandfather._

"As Rowan got older, he became stronger, freakishly strong, like Jenny had been and he knew his way around any fight because he was violent and exceptional with weapons as well as with his fist, a parting gift from his daddy. We used that to our advantage and started taking money in bets in an illegal fighting ring, Rowan would do the fighting, and I would take bets because I couldn't hold my own for shit. Rowan won every time, he even gave himself a fancy stage name, 'the Hawke', people lapped that shit up, and we made a pretty penny. Eventually, we bought my folks place when they died and his old home too, made it ours and ate well most nights. Pretty soon we got to being comfortable, and Rowan continued with the odd fight to add to his private reserves because Rowan wanted out of the underground. He kept saying it wasn't safe for him, that he needed to be topside." Jannick shared and in doing so, answered the question as to how the Sparhawkes of Shiganshina were connected to the Sparhawkes of the underground.

_I daresay I think I would like to have met Rowan Sparhawke, the man showed an incredible will to not just survive but to thrive in his circumstances._

"Did he say why it wasn't safe?" Levi inquired; he was really asking all the right questions today no doubt due to his suspicious nature.

_I knew I could count on him to see the bigger picture, and more significant and far-reaching this picture is._

"He said the MPs that killed his family would come for him before long, they would eventually figure out that they had missed him and they would come for him too. He said his family was different, that they could do things that normal people couldn't, that the Government were afraid of what his family could do, that they couldn't _control_ them." Jannick hedged almost like he didn't really want to divulge this part of his story and my mind began to tick.

Control was an interesting choice of word, in fact, it's a very particular choice of term, the Government was afraid that they couldn't control the Sparhawkes, but why would they need to _control_ them, or maybe that wasn't the question I should be asking. Perhaps the question is, how does the Government intend to control a person against their will?

_********_

_"Dad, what is all of this?" I asked puzzled as my father sat me down at the table that was filled with old history books open at various pages, was this homework?_

_"It's an answer to your question in class today, the one I couldn't give you." My father explained as he sat beside me and pulled the nearest book towards us, "These history books before us are distributed by the Government, they are what all teachers inside the walls us as per Government decree however they are full of mysteries and contradictions. According to these books, humanity has no knowledge of life before the Walls were erected, except that humanity was exterminated by the Titans and the survivors fled here."_

_"How would they know that if we have no knowledge of the outside world?" I asked with my eyebrows pulled together as I thumbed through the book_ _before, and my father smiled down at me in pride._

_"We wouldn't if that were truly the case, which I believe is not." My father shared with me, and my eyes widened in awe, "The chance of no history being recorded, or even passed down through oral methods is impossible. A 100 years isn't that long in terms of time, logically speaking my Grandfather's Grandfather should have been a young boy when the Walls were erected, and yet, an undertaking that big and no one knows anything about it. There is no memory of construction."_

_"But how?" I whispered, eager to hear what my father said next._

_"I believe that somehow, our collective memory was altered, forcing us to forget everything we knew about the world before the Walls, forcing to cower in fear behind them so that we cannot leave" My father theorised, and my mouth fell open._

_"Why?" I asked horrified, why would someone do something so cruel?_

_“Because Erwin, they want to_ **_control_ ** _us.”_

_****************_

What are the chances that my father was right? If somehow, the Government had managed to find a way to control the people, to make them forget everything that knew about the outside world, could that explain why my father suddenly disappeared after he told me that, could it explain why the Sparhawke family was hunted into near extinction, could Aurora and Rian be immune to this control as their Grandfather suggested their family was?

"I laughed at him, said he was paranoid. I wanted to believe he was paranoid because I didn't want to think on what that meant if what he said was true," Jannick admitted ashamed, pulling me from my musings "I told him that his daddy was probably a crook and he got caught and that the MPs did what a lot of men in the underground do, whatever the hell they wanted, and his momma and sister were just collateral. Rowan didn't appreciate that too much."

I imagine he didn't, the raping was collateral, but that family was always meant to die, just Aurora and Rian had meant to that night after the Trial and if my hunch was correct, on the day they were born too.

"Eventually we made enough money and found ourselves a man who could falsify documents allowing us passage to the surface and just like that Rowan packed up all his things, and left everything behind, including me. I never saw or heard from him again." Jannick smiled sadly, bringing an end to the Tale of Rowan' the Hawke' Sparhawke and opening a thousand new lines of inquiry. 

"Why didn't you go with him?" Levi asked, and I frowned as I had not thought to ask that question myself, why had he not followed his partner and friend to what would have surely been a better life?

"He asked me to, almost begged, but I had met the woman who would be my wife, and she wasn't gonna leave her family." Jannick shook his head sadly, and I puzzled over the lengths at which love drove people to, "We parted ways, and I knew I wouldn't see him again. I stayed in our home, raised my kids there, so when your scouts came nosing around, I took offence, and I was hauled up here to answer some questions. I wasn't gonna say jack shit until your commander told me about what happened to Rowan and his son. Poor Rowan, losing his only child like he lost his family and having to raise those grandbabies on his own for the Titans to-" Jannick broke off in a quiet sob as the news of his friends gruesome passing weighed heavy on him, "I'm sorry."

"Thank you for all of this Jannick," I thanked wholeheartedly, this man had just given us a piece of the puzzle we had been missing, "I will have one of my men escort you home and make sure you get there safe."

Pushing himself from his seat with cracking joints, Jannick made his way to my door, leaving behind a frowning Levi and I too followed after him to show him out before he suddenly paused and turned back to face me.

"If those kids ever want to hear it for themselves, you know where I am" Jannick offered with a tired sigh, "I owe their grandfather that much at least."

_I think Rian and Aurora may take him up on that offer when the time is right._

"Safe travels." I smiled as I held open the door for Jannick to leave before closing it behind him and returning to my desk and looked to Levi expectantly, he would surely have a few things to say about what we had just heard.

"Well, that was the last thing I was expecting to hear today." Levi admitted as he settled back into his chair and turned his cold eyes towards me, "What's your take?"

"That history has a funny way of repeating itself." I muttered to myself without meaning to as I went over everything we had heard today, catching myself off guard, before I turned back to Levi and gave my verdict, "I think Rowan Sparhawke knew about the Titans in the walls. I also believe his entire family had knowledge that we can barely fathom, and I'm willing to bet that it was all passed down in that book that Jannick mentioned along with their physical gifts."

"That would be fair to assume, but there's one catch, neither Aurora or Rian mentioned Rowan having a book that he prized or anything about knowledge concerning the walls." Levi argued with a valid point, "They weren't exactly children when he died, why wouldn't he have told them what he knew if that was the case, or told anyone for that matter?"

_I think he did more than tell someone, he found himself a new partner in crime, so to speak, thus pulling everything together._

"I believe he did." I smiled as it all came full circle, "I think he told Grisha Yaeger and I'm also willing to bet that the book in question is in Eren's basement. I believe Rowan and Grisha were going to tell Eren, Aurora and Rian together when the time was right to avoid what happened to Rowan's family from happening again, because whatever it is that is happening here, all three of them are integral to it, they are the key to everything."

"Well, shit," Levi swore, summing it all up perfectly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos guys! Much love!


	11. What the Future Holds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner learns his cover has been blown and Eren begins to understand his visions are more than they appear

sorry for the late update, I'm classed as a key worker in my country and have been pulling overtime to try and help during this global nightmare, please follow your government guidelines and be safe. Together we will get through this :D  


REINER 

I couldn't believe what I saw with my own two eyes. Ymir, a woman I had spent the last three years training besides, who I had fought beside at Trost had the power of the Titans, and not just any Titan but the Titan that Marcel, my friend and fellow Warrior, had bared.

"Talk to me... somebody tell me it's all dream." Connie stuttered as that horrific day flashed behind my eyes. Marcel had been the best of us, our leader, and he had been devoured by a Titan to save me in my stupidity, though it seems it wasn't just any Titan that had taken our heart that day, it had been Ymir.

_I had watched as she crushed him between her teeth, I had watched as his blood splattered the grass, I had watched as he had screamed for-_

"Ymir?" Krista sniffled, pulling me from the dark memory as she peered down over the Tower with Aurora by her side watching as Ymir hacked and slashed her way through the mass of Titans below and I felt a dark, twisted rage rising through my blood.

"It was her that day," I said through gritted teeth as Bertolt visibly shivered beside me and I caught the slight shift of Aurora's head that let me know she was listening to everything we were saying, her momentary lapse of sanity beginning to fall away as she got a grip of herself in the face of this new threat.

"She's the one," Bertolt whispered, and Aurora turned her head towards us, eyes narrowed in suspicion and accusation simultaneously, and I felt my stomach drop as Marco's face sprung into my mind, he too had looked at us exactly like that before we had-

The tower shook violently, causing us all to stumble and crying out in fear, Krista fell forward, threatening to topple off the side with her legs kicking up in the air.

"PULL HER BACK!" Aurora ordered as she grasped Krista's shirt and my free hand instantly snaked out and grasped Krista's ankle involuntarily at the order as I stared into the back of Aurora's redhead, my face twisting in anticipation of the coming fight.

_Aurora knows._

"Thank you, Reiner, I-" Krista broke off in a scream as my hand clamped down hard on her ankle, twisting my frustrations out on her skin because between her, Ymir and Aurora I was surrounded by enemies on all fronts, "AAAAAHH! STOP YOU'RE HURTING ME!" 

"Hey take it easy, man!" Connie shouted while rushing forward to support Krista's weight as I continued to squeeze her ankle, not entirely of my own free will as Ymir's titan scream echoed through the air when suddenly I was choking on the impact of a well-placed strike to my windpipe before being forced back by a knee to my gut, making me double over and release my hold on Krista.

"That's enough!" Aurora snarled as her leg returned to the floor and she took up a defensive position in front of a wide-eyed Connie and Krista, her burning mismatched eyes darting between Bertolt and me, ready for the conflict and despite the pain I was in, I felt relief wash over me. 

_She knows, but she doesn't know everything._

Aurora knew we were her enemy, that much was evident in the way she was glaring at us now. It was impressive really, how she had worked it out without us ever giving ourselves away, I mean I knew she was smart, but I never would have guessed Aurora would figure it out on her own, that being said, I was confident she didn't know everything, because if she did, then she would have cut our heads off, not punch in my windpipe. She thinks we are normal humans, but given how quickly she figured out we were against her, it wouldn't take long before she figured out the rest, and after what I have seen her do in the tower I'm more confident than ever that we need to take her with us when we capture Eren, so, for now, I'm going to need to play along and not force her hand.

_She doesn't know that I'm aware of what she's worked out, I can work that to our advantage, but shit I can't let her land any more hits on me like that, I can't be forced into healing myself and giving us away._

"I'm... sorry" I gasped out between painful gulps of air as Aurora took a menacing step forward with one of her hands inching down to her blades before Krista dove forward and grasped her arm.

"It's okay," Krista reassured more to Aurora than to me, and it seemed to work as Aurora moved her hand away from her blade put still kept up her defensive position.

"No, it's not." Aurora snapped before she levelled me with a scathing glare, and I knew I had to redirect the attention away from my actions, "What were you trying to do?!"

"I just...." I stammered before I focused in on Krista and took the opportunity to not only deflect but to get some god damn answers, "Tell me the truth, you had to have been in on all of this. Ymir is a Titan; how could you not know?"

"She never told me," Krista swore and yet despite my reservations I believed her, "We were inseparable, and yet I had no idea, I mean, how?"

"Not sure what to think, all this time she has been keeping it under wraps, and we never suspected a damn thing." I hedge and immediately had to school my face as Aurora's eyes narrowed again in suspicion confirming my worst fears, she definitely knew we were playing her false.

"Well its possible she didn't know," Connie offered nervously as he watched Ymir on her warpath with saucer-like eyes, "Eren was caught off guard, he had no clue till he transformed then again Ymir did seem to have a plan."

_Oh, this bitch knew._

"Wait a second, are you trying to say that Ymir is a threat?" Krista accused as she turned on Connie with her tiny body shaking in a fury.

"It's a hell of a power to hide," Aurora answered for Connie and Krista's eyes turned to her in horror at her condemnation, "How she will use this power is anybody's guess, after all, you never know who a person really is till they show you."

Again, I fought to keep my face in check, because if that wasn't a direct jab to test Bertolts and my responses, then I don't know what is. It was remarkable really, even in the middle of all this chaos and devastation, with her heartbroken and the almost acceptance of defeat, Aurora was still fighting in one way or another, she didn't know how to give up, not truly.

_What we could have achieved with her at our side had she been born in the empire and our war chief guiding her, it's almost too sweet to imagine._

"For all, we know she could have been on their side all along," Bertolt added, not entirely aware as to the situation around him and I groaned internally as Aurora's eyes snapped to his with a barely veiled resentment making Bertolt swallow nervously.

"And whose side would that be Bertolt?" Aurora emphasised, and the air sparked with tension as Bertolt struggled to find the words to give her. I knew then that our time was running out, she would make a move sooner rather than later, if the tower didn't fail first that is, because, like any wild animal backed into a corner, she would rather fight than submit.

_I don't know if I can take her in human form, and we can't afford to kill her, even Bertolt can't argue that after seeing her literally wrestle a Titan and almost have the upper hand, if the tower falls then I will transform and take her by force-_

"YMIR!" Krista screamed as the wail of a Titan in distress rang through our ears and abandoning our standoff, Aurora rushed over to Krista's side with me right behind her to stare down at Ymir who was clutching on the crumbling side of the Tower and Titans below her grasped her feet and attempted to pull her to her end. Tremors began to shake the tower as the brickwork crumbled beneath Ymir's grip and screaming out, Ymir cast her large brown eyes up towards us before letting go and allowing herself to fall into the greedy hands of the Titans below.

_What is she doing!? That's suicide!_

"Woah, what is she doing!?" Connie spluttered as Ymir wrestled with the two Titans that had her pinned between them, ready to sink their teeth into her flesh and devour the power she possessed. 

"She's worried about the tower falling down..." Aurora whispered in awe as she stared down at the struggling Ymir with the morning light dancing in her vibrant red hair, astounded by Ymir's sacrifice.

"Come on!" Connie exasperated, "You've got be kidding me!"

"Exactly, she could have chosen to escape. Nothing is keeping her here, and still, she is fighting, it's us, she's risking her life for us!" Krista cried in compassion though I think it was somewhat misplaced, Ymir was doing this for herself, she was doing this to protect something she loved, and that was Krista.

"This isn't for us," Aurora lamented as she placed her hand on Krista's elbow, seeing straight to the truth once again, "It's for you Krista, she loves you."

A look of crushing heartbreak seized hold of Krista's childlike face as she turned back to Ymir who was losing the fight. Fat tears dropped from her eyes, and I felt something akin to sympathy for the love lost when suddenly, snarling with venom, Krista mounted the side of the tower and stood on the edge as Aurora and Connie scrambled to grab her.

"DONT YOU DARE DIE ON ME!" Krista screamed at Ymir as she shoved against Connie's head, "NOT IN A HOVEL LIKE THIS DAMN YOU!" 

_What the hell is happening?_

"YOU WANNA BE THE HERO ALL OF A SUDDEN! HOPING TO GO OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! TOO LATE TO THINK ABOUT HEAVEN NOW, YOU'RE A SELFISH BITCH, AND YOU KNOW IT! YOU WILL DIE PROTECTING THIS STUPID TOWER!" Krista ranted like a madwoman, but it wasn't her demented ravings that had me terrified, it was the wide sinister grin that had spread across Aurora's face that had me shitting myself because that was the look of a woman who was about to throw it all to hell, "TEAR IT TO PIECES! LIVE FOR YOURSELF-"

"BRING IT DOWN ON TOP OF THEM!" Aurora's commanding voice bellowed over the top of Krista's screaming, and I physically wanted to throw up as the realisation of what Aurora was saying gripped me in fear.

_Oh shit!_

Forcing herself free from the Titan's holding her, Ymir dove at the tower and immediately began riving the brickwork free and using it as projectiles in her frantic assault on the Titans below and the tower suddenly lurched forward, knocking all but Aurora and Krista off our feet with terrified screams.

"BRACE YOURSELVES THIS HAPPENING!" I bellowed as I struggled for purchase with my one free hand and cursed myself for allowing it to get this far, I should have just transformed and killed-

"YEAH THATTA GIRL!" Krista cried out in joy as the tower toppled forward and just as it seemed both her and Aurora would tumble over the side, Ymir's Large Titan head, teeth and all, appeared over the side as she latched on and peered down at us.

_She looks nothing like Marcel did..._

"Wanna live.... grab on tight" Ymir's Titan wheezed before turning her massive head for us and wasting no time we all scrambled onto the back of her head and clung onto her hair for dear life as she climbed up on the outside of the tower and the dropping feeling that came with falling from a great height pulled at my guts painfully as the tower collapsed.

The wind whipped at my face causing tears to spring forth as red filled my eyes from Aurora's hair breaking free from its braid and billowing out behind her as we all lurched downward before being thrown forward, crashing to the ground with Ymir looming above us.

"Holy shit, we made it." Connie half groaned half laughed as he rolled onto his knees and a huge smile spread across my face at having pulled off the impossible when the ringing of a blade being drawn from its sheath had my lips faltering.

"They're still not dead," Aurora announced as she stepped forward with one blade drawn, ready to fight as the ground began to shift and Titans pushed free from the rubble, their hungry eyes fixing on us.

"Hey, ugly!" Connie screamed as he jabbed his finger towards Ymir, "You've got a job to finish!"

Bounding away, Ymir jumped onto the nearest Titan and sank her teeth into its nape, savagely tearing it free from its body but it did little good as a giant hand appeared from behind her and grasped her by her hair and smashed her head against a rock, spraying us all with her hot blood.

"YMIR!" Krista cried as the other Titans took opportunity of Ymir's vulnerability and pounced on her, driving their rotten teeth into her flesh, eager to devour the power she held and free themselves from their nightmare.

"They are eating her," Aurora whispered horrified as blood cascading through the air like rain, splashing against her face like a scene from a nightmare.

"NO PLEASE!" Krista wailed as she raced forward in some stupid, misguided attempt of saving Ymir, but without any gear or 20 meters on her, there was nothing she could do but watch till it was her turn.

"Krista wait!" Aurora ordered as she ran after the stupid girl, and I growled in frustration as I watched one of my objectives rushing straight into the jaws of hell.

_Fuck sake! If we go back empty-handed were dead! At least with her, we would have a consolation prize and not have our Titans taken from us!_

"Ymir, don't do this to me!" Krista begged as she reached the crumpled tower where Ymir was being torn apart, "Dammit it, we had a deal remember, I still haven't told you my name. I promised-" Krista broke off in a scream as the rubble shifted and a massive Titan broke free of the ruins, eyes locking straight on her. Stumbling back with a cry in her throat, Krista was dragged back by the scruff of her neck by Aurora as Connie, Bertolt and I began running towards them to do what I did not know.

Pushing Krista behind her, Aurora stood her ground with her wild hair blowing around her as she gripped her blade with two hands and screamed in rage and defiance at the Titan reaching out for her with its large fingers when suddenly it lurched forward and fell down as a flash of green sailed above.

"Aurora, Krista, all of you, get back." A familiar voice ordered from above us and turning I saw the last person I wanted to see here, "It's okay, let us take care of this."

"Mikasa!" Ymir cried out in hope and suddenly as if on cue, the sky filled with the green cloaks of the Scout Regiment

* * *

EREN 

My heart had entered my mouth when I had seen the tower fall with the sunlight breaking through the clouds illuminating a very familiar shade of red billowing out from the back of a Titan's head, and crying out in fear I kicked my horse faster, ignoring Rian's order to stay back with Hange's team and fixated on that splash of red before it disappeared in the billow of smoke thrown up by the collapsing tower.

_Aurora! Hold on! We're coming!_

"Forward Scouts! Disperse and canvas the area, the rest of you follow me to where the Titans are gathering and cut them down." Hange ordered, and I took that as an invitation to do my part, so pushing ahead of the group I rode straight for the ruins and engaged my ODM gear heading straight for the nearest Titan, "EREN! WAIT! YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE OFFENSIVE!"

Grappling onto the Titan, I propelled myself high above its head before drawing my blades and bearing down on its nape with all my frustrations and rage. 

"DIE!" I bellowed as I drove my blades deep into the Titan's nape and laughed with disbelief at what was my first kill with my own two _human_ hands, "Hahaha my very first ODM kill!"

Watching the Titan fall with a gleeful satisfaction, I quickly glanced around me once again looking for that familiar red hair I was longing to see when my line suddenly snagged on itself and my stomach dropped.

"SHIT!" I cried out as I plummeted to the ground and crashed into the earth, rolling a few times before coming to a stop on my back with a groan.

"IDIOT!" Rian bellowed as he zipped over the top of me towards a Titan that was fast approaching, "I TOLD YOU TO STAY BACK!"

"I'M SORRY RIAN!" I called back as he ripped his blades into the Titan's nape and moved off onto the next one, his head snapping from side to side as he scanned the area and I pushed myself to my feet, ready to join the search for our sister.

_Come on, Aurora, where are you?_

"HEY! EREN!" Connie's voice drifted from behind and spinning on my heel, relief poured through my veins at seeing Connie, Reiner and Bertolt running towards me with their arms waving in the air, but there was no Krista, and there was no Aurora.

_She's fine … she has to be... I saw her..._

"Connie! Guys! Where is Aurora?!" I panicked as soon as they were in hearing distance and a sudden shot of ice ran down my spine at the look that passed between Reiner and Bertolt making Rian's word from yesterday ring in my ears.

_"Our sister is out there right now with them both ready to put a knife in her bac-"_

"She was with us a few minutes ago," Connie reassured me, and I sighed in relief as Reiner's eyes narrowed towards me, almost in assessment,"She was dragging Krista away from the fighting. She's okay, physically anyway" Connie explained, putting an end to my short-lived relief with the implication of Aurora not being okay.

_What the hell is that supposed to mean?!_

"Eren, about Aurora." Reiner began hesitantly as he moved forward to place his unbandaged hand on my shoulder, with a veiled expression that had my skin crawling, "I'm afraid that she may have lost her mind-"

"EREN!" Rian's voice boomed across the ruins as he stood atop an enormous boulder looking down on the four of us, "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" 

"Coming!" I called back and shook out from under Reiner's grip before running over to Rian, who was staring at Reiner with narrowed eyes. Climbing onto of the tower ruins, Rian held his hand out for me to take and pulled me up to the ledge where he, Mikasa and Armin were standing looking down upon Ymir's broken body as the steam rose from it, with Hange and Krista hunkered over her.

_Wait... steam... she's... she's like me... she's a Titan..._

"It can't be.... she's really..." Armin stammered as he looked down upon them.

"Ymir" Krista cried as she leaned over Ymir's scarred face and gently pushed the hair back from her eyes, "Just as promised, my real name is Historia."

_She is the key... she may know things that we understand but poorly..._

"Where is Aurora?" Mikasa asked concerned and my mind snapped back to the present, "I saw her when I first got here, where is she?"

"Connie said she was with Krista er, Historia..." I trailed off in fear as I scanned the gathering of soldiers and realised that Aurora wasn't with them, and I wasn't the only one.

"AURORA!" Rian called out in panic as he scrambled off our ledge and took off into the graveyard of Titan remains with the three of us hot on his heels as the scouts finished killing the last of the Titans.

Steam rose over the rubble as the last of the Titans fell to their death, and Armin, Mikasa, Rian and I furiously scrambled over boulders and debris in search of mismatched Grey and Green eyes and wild red hair as a dark sense of Deja Vu took hold of me.

_This was in one of my visions... the day of the 57th expedition... I saw this happening..._

"AURORA!" Rian bellowed as we all searched frantically for his twin sister, though she was nowhere to be found and my heart swelled with sorrow knowing what was to come.

"SHES OVER HERE!" Armin's voice boomed, and Mikasa, Rian and I took off in the direction his voice had come from. Slipping and sliding, we battle our way over rocks and steaming Titan limbs to where Armin stood pointing, his face drawn in concern and as we made our way over to where he was standing it was easy to see why.

Not ten feet away, Aurora was knelt upon the ground clutching a severed arm bearing the wings of freedom to her chest as her whole body shook with her quiet sobs of anguish and fat tears began to roll down my face at seeing her look so fragile and broken.

"No..." Rian lamented as he slowly made his way over to Aurora, tears springing to his eyes and falling to his knees before her, Rian gently pulled the limb from his sister's hands and carefully placed it on the floor like it was the most precious thing in the world before pulling Aurora into his arms and breaking down.

One by one, the surviving scouts came to stand and bear witness to the mournful cries of two of their own, some had tears in their eyes like me, others had faces of cold rage for their comrades' pain.

"There was nothing we could do" Connie whimpered as they all watched the redheaded twins comfort each other in their heart-breaking grief.

_If this came true... then the vision I saw yesterday with Aurora... dying...oh god..._

"No," I whispered to myself, unwilling to accept the future laid out before us, "I won't let that happen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos Guys and sorry for the late update, I'm classed as a key worker in my country and have been pulling overtime to try and help during this global nightmare, please follow your government guidelines and be safe.


	12. No Road Left but the One Before Us Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren begins to see that maybe he doesn't know Reiner and Bertolt as well as he thought he did.

EREN 

I stood in silence and anxiously watched Mikasa tie-up Aurora’s hair with Sasha’s spare hair-tie as Rian and Nifa hoovered nearby protectively, their eyes fixed on Aurora as she sat staring vacantly ahead. Connie had explained what horrors had befallen them since the Titans had arrived and my heart ached for Aurora and Rian, who had just lost their entire squad in one day.

_We should have got here sooner; we could have saved them._

Finishing up, Mikasa moved around the front of Aurora and leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead before looking over to Rian with worried eyes as Aurora began to rise to her feet. Her face was cold and emotionless, except for her eyes which were burning and following her line of sight to our two objectives who stood not far away, I saw them watching Aurora with nervous and slightly fearful expressions.

_Reiner...Bertolt... what did you do?_

Moving forward, Rian came over to our sister and placed a hand on her shoulder to break her hateful gaze and startling, Aurora turned to and grasped his hand as a look of desperation took over her face making my anxiety rise even more.

“Rian, I need to tell you something, about Rein-” Aurora attempted to speak but Rian cut off her words by crushing her body to him in what appeared to be a heartfelt embrace between siblings except it was more than that, and bringing his lips close to her ear, Rian told her not to say another word. 

_She knows.... if she knows then they must have done something for her to suspect them..._

“We know,” Rian whispered as Nifa moved slightly closer, blocking everyone but our small group's line of sight as to what was actually happening.

“I don’t think you do-” Aurora began to protest, but Rian squeezed her tighter.

“Aurora, we _know_ ” Rian emphasised, and Aurora pulled back to look into his face in shock as Rian brought his hands up to cup her cheeks, “We know, and we have to be ready for anything. We need you thinking clearly, are you with us?”

“Always” Aurora answered without hesitation and smiling in relief, Rian leaned down and pressed his lips into her hair before moving away and holding his hand out for Nifa to take, leaving just Aurora, Mikasa and me looking at each other unsure what to do next as he went for a mission update.

_Lure and contain Reiner and Bertolt underground... I can't believe we are doing this..._

“Did you bring spare blades and gas?” Aurora asked Mikasa after a short silence, gesturing to her ODM gear, “I need to restock before we move out.”

“Yeah, this way. I'll show you” Mikasa smiled softly and held out her hand for Aurora to take. I followed closely behind as Mikasa lead Aurora to the supply wagon and started to restock her gear, not willing to let her out of my sight once because if I knew one thing for sure, it was that whatever these visions were, I wasn’t going to let them go to waste, I was going to use them to save Aurora even if it would be the last thing I do.

_I watched my mother die; I won't watch her die too._

“Those of you without horses, double up, we move out in five for the wall!” Hange’s commanding voice rang across the ruins, and everyone hastily jumped into action, myself included.

“Ride with me.” I beckoned to Aurora as she sheathed the last of blades, thoroughly equipped for battle. Walking together, we reached my horse and I allowed Aurora to mount up first before I followed and settled myself behind her with my arms wrapped around her midriff as she gripped the reigns. 

_I have to keep her close until I'm sure I have saved her, I couldn't bare it if... No, I'm going to stop that from happening, Aurora is going to live!_

“Do me a favour and stay close to me, please” I pleaded into Aurora’s ear and she turned to look back me in confusion and slight concern, “I just need you to be close to me, okay. No matter what happens.”

Aurora stared into my eyes for what seemed like an eternity, searching for something in my face though what I did not know, but what she found had there her mismatched eyes widening slightly and her bottom lip trembling.

_She’s afraid._

“Okay,” she whispered before nodding stiffly and turning back around to kick our horse into action.

*********

The wind howled upon the top of the wall and the skies darkened as I watched Rian, Aurora and Nifa winch Ymir’s rocking stretcher up the wall as she lay unconscious upon it.

“That’s it! Bring it up slowly!” Rian directed as Aurora and Nifa ascended just below Ymir, ready to catch her should she fall, “Steady the ropes please!”

Rain had begun to fall, adding to the eerie atmosphere that had fallen as steam continued to billow out from Ymir’s wounds marking her for what she truly was, a Titan. 

I still couldn’t get my head around it, all this time she was there beside me and I was none the wiser, then again, I wasn’t exactly clued up about Annie either, at least with Ymir we might actually get some answers. That is if she survived, that is. 

_What's the odds of us actually catching a break?_

“What's the verdict?” I asked as Aurora and Nifa climbed on top of the wall after Ymir was secured, “How bad of a shape is Ymir in?”

“Well she is missing an arm and a leg, and her insides are scrambled.” Nifa gave me a brief run down, and I cringed at the picture she was painting, “If she were normal, she'd be a goner.”

“Normal, huh,” I muttered to myself as the reality of that word sunk in, we weren’t normal, we were barely human, I would never be normal again.

The grunts of a struggling soldier drew my attention and turning to the edge of the wall, I watched sympathetically despite the information I had as Reiner fumble helplessly in an attempt to climb on top of the wall with his one working arm.

“You doing ok?” I asked and unable to help myself I walked over to him and held out my hand despite the burning glare I could feel being directed my way by Aurora, “Here grab my hand!”

“Thanks” Reiner smiled as he grasped my arm and I pulled him onto the wall before stepping back as his golden eyes turned me with a hesitancy, almost like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how. Puzzled as to what had him so tongue tied, I had been about to ask him what was wrong when a small hand grasped mine and pulled me towards them.

“Huh?” I blurted out as Aurora’s mismatched grey and green eyes stared up into mine with meaning, and that meaning was to move away from Reiner, a feat that was proving to be impossible as the man in question made his way over to us with Bertolt by his side, their eyes scrutinising Aurora's every move.

_Do they not want her near?_

“You asked me to stay close, right?” Aurora coaxed as she tugged on my arm, pulling me closer to her and further away from Reiner and Bertolt, the anxiety bleeding from her.

“Yeah.” I nodded as I tucked her under my arm, doing my best to alleviate the stress I was causing, she had suffered too much in such a short time, and she didn’t need me adding to what was already a very tense situation. Relaxing into my side, Aurora rest her forehead against my chest as we waiting for the rest of the scouts to ascend the wall so we could be on our way. 

_We find the breach then head back to Trost and finally get some answers to-_

“Ergh, son of a bitch!” Reiner spat startling both Aurora and me, the latter of which had her hand twitching towards her blades until I clamped my hand down around her wrist and held her tightly.

_She is wound up tighter than a pissed off alley cat, one wrong move and this whole thing is blown._

“You okay over there, Reiner?” I asked as I glared down at Aurora in a warning to curb it, I didn’t turn to look at him until I had seen her sigh inhale deeply and nod her head.

“Not by a long shot,” Reiner groaned as he held the front of his head with his free hand and both Aurora and I looked to him with wary expressions, “Titan almost gnawed my arm off. Pathetic! All I kept on thinking was this is how I go.”

Reiner began to quietly cry, his grip on his sanity slipping and once again I couldn't help but feel sympathy for him as a blonde head popped over the edge of the wall and Aurora pushed out from under my grip to help Armin up to safety.

“Take my hand Armin.” Aurora offered gently as she held her hand out, and pulling him up onto the wall she pushed his hair out of his eyes with a tense smile as she tried to silently convey a message to Armin who appeared to understand her perfectly like he always does. 

_What is she telling him?_

“What else are you supposed to think at a time like that,” I reasoned as I watched Aurora and Armin, “your only human.”

“Don’t you get it! This was my second time!” Reiner snapped as he swung around to Armin and Aurora with wild eyes, “Armin remember! Go on! Tell him how Annie nearly crushed me like an insect.” Reiner snarled as his fist clenched and alarm bells rang in my head because he wasn’t with us in Stohess, he hadn't been at the meeting held with Commander Erwin and his officers which left only one question burning in my mind and from the look on Aurora and Armin’s faces, they same one was burning in theirs too.

_How did he know the Female Titan was Annie..... unless....it was him...he told Annie just like Rian had said... he knew what she was all along..._

“That’s twice I've nearly died now, what are the chances I will survive a third time. This is what it is, what it really means to be a soldier, your spirit breaks, and the body follows.” Reiner sniffed, utterly unaware to our wary eyes, “No good whining about it now, least not until we can plug up the wall.”

We all stared at him with expressions varying from my confusion, to Armin’s barely veiled anxiety to Aurora’s absolute fury as she struggled to keep herself in check while Reiner sat and felt sorry for himself, and I couldn’t blame her, not really. Out of the five of us here, she was the real soldier, she was the one whose spirit was repeatedly tested because Reiner had helped our enemies, but until we got them underground there was nothing we could do about it, we had to play the game, get them to go along with the plan.

_We cant let them know were leading them, otherwise... well I don't know what they will do, not anymore._

“That’s true, the two of you have been driven enough away from your home town as it is.” I muttered to distract Reiner and Bertolt as I moved towards Aurora and Armin, “This is it; this is where we draw the line.”

_In more ways than one._

“Truer words were never spoken!” Bertolt cried out in borderline joy as he grasped Reiner’s shoulders and once again all our eyes turned towards the two brothers in arms, “Home! Let’s go! We've been here long enough, compared to everything else we’ve had to go through, the rest is easy!”

_Been here long enough? What is he talking about?_

“Your right!” Reiner smiled wholeheartedly, and a shiver ran down my spine at the look of hope that was radiating from his grimy face, “We don’t have much further to go before it's done!” 

_Before what is done!?_

“What are you guys talking about?” I asked with a slight shake to my voice as both Reiner and Bertolt turned to look at me with a calculating look that had my nerves setting on edge. Sweat ran down my back as Reiner moved forward with a determined step when sudden bellowing from below the wall rang through the air drawing all of our attention to the Garrison riders below that were quickly engaging their ODM gear and scaling the wall. 

_Garrison soldiers? Here?_

Rushing over to where Mikasa, Rian, Nifa and Hange were gathered with the rest of the unit, I wormed my way to the front with Aurora and Armin right behind me and gasped when I saw the last person I had expected to see.

“Hannes?” Hange puzzled as she leaned down and we all waited on bated breath as she pulled Hannes onto the wall, “Did the Garrison Regiment find anything?”

“Wall is perfectly fine.” Hannes declared, and horrified gasps rang all around because if Wall Rose was intact then how did the Titans get in. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank so much for the Kudos and Comments! they are keeping me going through these troubling times, keep safe everyone and I hope you enjoy the coming chapters :D


	13. No Road Left But The One Before Us Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two

AURORA 

"What?" Hange spluttered as she took a step back in complete shock, a sentiment the whole unit but I felt, I had known yesterday that wasn't an actual Titan invasion, there weren't enough Titans, not like when Maria fell. No, this was all down to the Beast Titan, he had gotten those Titans over the wall, I don't know how but he did, and he can control them like the female Titan had been able to in the Titan ambush that had wiped out the right-wing spotters. Our true enemy had abilities way beyond our understanding and they were using them to fuck us.

_How could we ever stand a chance with enemies such as this, even with Eren the odds are against us, they know far more than us about the Titans._

"We've spent all night trying to find out where they are getting in, but between Trost and Korvud district there is nothing." Hannes explained as he ran a hand over his hair, clearly distressed by the information, "no hole anywhere."

"That's impossible!" Hange venomously denied, not willing to accept the truth even as it was staring her in the face, but if she hadn't seen what I had seen, she wouldn't be able to deny what this was, a test of our strength.

_I knew we wouldn't have had long to wait until the enemy made their move, I just hadn't thought it would be so soon._

"We ran into a search party from Korvud, and we retraced our steps, but we found nothing, not even a single Titan on the way here either," Hannes said as he shook his head mystified and I scoffed in twisted humour because I knew the exact reason for that.

"That's because they were too busy eating us." I muttered darkly and smiled thinly when Hannes' eyes snapped to me and widened in surprise, "Nice to see you sober Hannes."

"Aurora? Aren't you a sight for sore eyes Girl! What are you doing here?!" Hannes exclaimed as his eyes moved beside me and clocked the familiar faces of those he had watched grow up, "what are all of you doing here!?"

"Long story" Rian sighed tiredly as he stepped forward and embraced Hannes briefly before clapping the smaller man on the shoulder and stepping back with a sad smile, it was good in a bitter sweet kind of way to see Hannes again though I wish it was under better circumstances.

"If there is no breach, then I guess we have to change tactics." Hange suddenly announced, breaking up the reunion of those of us that hailed from Shiganshina, "We head back to Trost immediately."

The Scouts around us mobilised into action by packing up all our gear and heading back towards the makeshift lifts that had helped us scale the wall, ready to return to Trost and take Reiner and Bertolt into custody, at least that's what I assume anyway, after all, Rian had said they knew about Reiner and Bertolt, and if I know my brother, which I do, then there was no way in hell that he would have come out here without at least having some sort of plan hashed out.

"You'd all be smart to keep your guard up;" Hannes smiled tightly as he moved to the edge of the wall ready to engage his ODM gear, "We will go on ahead of you."

Nodding his head in goodbye, Hannes free fell from the wall before engaging his gear and leaving us to move on with the mission and taking hold of Eren's hand once again, I gently led him behind the others as we made our way towards the lifts, entirely conscious of the fact that Bertolt and Reiner were falling in behind Eren and me.

_They are up to something._

"How can there be nothing wrong with the wall?" Nifa asked ahead of us as she walked beside my brother, her short auburn hair tousling in the wind.

"Excellent question." Rian sighed as he ran a hand through his messy hair, "Nothing like this has happened in five years, why now?"

"It feels like everything is spiralling out of control," Mikasa muttered as she and Armin followed closely behind Nifa and Rian just as I was when suddenly Eren's hand in mine tightened painfully, and I bit into the side of my cheek to stop myself from crying out as I turned to him to ask what the hell he was doing, however one look at Eren's face had me rethinking.

"We should talk," Reiner declared with his eyes darting between Eren and me as I realised it was him that had made Eren react as he had, "you got a moment?"

_Not for you he doesn't._

"Aurora too?" Eren asked hesitantly, and I squeezed his hand tighter because I was sure as hell not leaving him alone with them two, and if Reiner had a problem with it, then he could go fuck himself.

"Yes, this concerns her too." Reiner nodded and my stomach churned because I had a feeling whatever he was about to say I wasn't going to like one bit. Looking back to me with deep concern, Eren awaited my answer and nodding, I turned to face the Reiner and Bertolt who were less than a meter away as I slid my hand up to Eren's elbow to pull him away the minute things went south.

"Five years ago, we compromised Wall Maria and launched an attack on humanity. I'm the armoured Titan," Reiner said so offhandedly before he gestured to Bertolt with his thumb, "He is the Colossal."

My breath was knocked out of my chest just as surely as it would have had I been struck and right now in this very moment, I would rather that have been the case than have to stand here and feel the pain I felt as I listened to this man tell me that they were the ones who had destroyed my home and killed my family in such a carefree manner. 

_He can't be serious, he's lost his mind, he can't be...._

It had to be a joke, they couldn't be the Armoured and Colossal Titans, no one in their right mind would just come out and say that to their victim's faces when they were armed to the teeth but looking at Reiner's deathly calm face, a sickening feeling racked down my spine that had my heart hammering in my chest because it was there, written as clear as day on his face, he was finally telling the truth.

_They... he... He wasn't just an informant... they killed all those people...they took our home...Carla... Grisha... Grandfather.... it was all their fault... I can't-_

"What are you talking about?" Eren asked incredulously as I fought to keep down the bile threatening to surface as the memory of my home burning hit my mind like a Titan fist, all of it was coming back, the smell of the fires, the screams of countless people being eaten alive, grandfather's unseeing eyes, Carla's blood splashing in the streets. It was all too much to bear as the anger and hatred pulsed through my blood fuelling the overwhelming feeling to tear his heart out with my bare hands, so much so that my entire body began to shake with the effort to remain in control of the last of restraint because we needed to capture them, not kill them.

_They took my home... my future... my grandfather... they took the only mother I had..._

"Why are you telling them!?" Bertolt cried as he grasped Reiner's arm in panic, "Reiner no! Stop-"

"We were on a mission" Reiner continued on as he shoved Bertolt back and I felt my grip begin to slip as more words poured out of his treacherous mouth, "Our goal was to ensure mankind's extinction, but now there is no need for that, if you want the walls to remain standing, it's simple, both of you must come with us, ideally we would take your brother to too, but this is time-sensitive and we need to leave now, do you both understand?"

I couldn't believe what he had just said. He was on a mission to drive our race to extinction? What kind of mission is that?! What kind of human actively contributes to the genocide of their own fucking race!? How was I supposed to understand, how was I supposed to be able to comprehend the motives, _the need_ , for Eren and me to go with them? How was I supposed to understand when they tell me that they were behind the destruction of everything I once held dear but fuck all else!

_Why Rian too? Is this because of our abilities? Why would they need us!? What aren't they saying?!_

"Understand?" I seethed as my shaking hands clenched into fists, "What the hell is there to understand-"

"Listen to me!" Reiner snapped as he began to raise his voice and moved a step closer to me, "We don't have time for this. I know you worked out that we weren't being honest with you and it's only a matter of time before the others figure it out too, so I need you to do exactly as I say. We have to go now."

_This is all my fault, I've forced their hand with my own stupidity, and like anyone backed into a corner, they are going to force their way out._

"Right now!" Eren stammered as his arm that I was already grasping reached out towards me in a defensive gesture, "Where would you take us?"

"I can't tell you, not yet. Just think of it as our home town" Reiner replied vaguely as he levelled me with a steel stare, "So what's it gonna be? Not a bad deal, right? A chance to avert a major crisis?"

"Not a bad deal?" I snarled as my temper peaked fuelled by fear and guilt because I had caused this, "Have you gone soft in the head, what did that Titan do to you to make you think that what you're saying is okay? Can you even hear yourself-"

"Hey, guys get a move on! We're moving out!" Rian called out to us, cutting off my rant and turning to look at him, I met his eyes across the distance and watched in relief as he instantly stiffened on alert which in turn put Mikasa, Nifa and Armin on edge.

_We were not alone._

"You're tired and stressed right," Eren diverted sensing the danger Reiner was presenting as he grew more and more agitated, "You all are, your nerves are shot, you don't know what you're saying!"

_Oh, he knows, he just hasn't thought this through, he's forcing us down a road that none of us want to go down._

"Yeah!" Bertolt agreed enthusiastically, sweat pouring from his pale face, "It's the battle fatigue talking."

_He's not prepared for the conflict if Reiner pushes this, he doesn't want to fight._

"It's okay! You're okay!" Eren reassured, but the fact that he kept his arm out in front of me protectively contradicted himself, "If you really were the armoured Titan, what's the end game here? We wouldn't be having this conversation in the first place, what would you expect us to do, say yes and let ourselves be kidnapped because you asked politely?" 

_That's exactly what the bastard expected._

It was unsettling how calm Eren was being, even after hearing what we had just heard, because I am sure as hell struggling to keep a lid on the emotions raging inside of me. He was asking questions, keeping himself in check, keeping them _talking_ , I just hoped this was a stalling tactic and not refusal to see the threat like he had done with Annie because looking at the determined look on Reiner's face, I don't think he is going to let us leave here, not without a fight at least.

_Compassion had nearly cost us our lives; we can't make the same mistake again, no matter how much it hurts._

"Right." Reiner muttered as he stared vacantly ahead and my hands started to visibly shake as my adrenaline began to spike, "Not thinking straight am I, barely know what I'm saying here. Must have gone off the deep end."

"Come on, let's go." Eren ordered and turned with me in tow before he pulled me close and whispered in my ear, "Do _not_ let go of me."

"That's the problem, I've been here too long for my own good." Reiner said in a cold, detached voice that had us freezing on the spot, my bottom lip trembling as I looked into Eren's wide eyes, "Three years of this madness, surrounded by idiots, we were kids, what did we know about anything? Why did there have to be people like this, why? Why did I let myself devolve into a half-assed piece of shit?"

_What is he saying... He's making no sense..._

Turning slowly, my eyes met Reiner's crazed ones, and my stomach dropped at the commitment behind them, whatever it was he had decided upon, he was seeing it through, and it wasn't going to end well for anyone involved. 

"It's too late now! Damned if I know what's right anymore! Who cares! It is what it is! No choice but to face what I have done!" Reiner declared as he tore his sling off and I screamed internally when I saw the steam rising from the rapidly disappearing wound on his forearm, "As a warrior! No road left but the one that leads to the end!" 

_Oh fuck..._

My mind was begging me to do something, but my body wasn't responding, too shut down in shock and fear, as what I saw through wide terror-filled eyes finally began to sink in with a horrifying reality check. We were on top of a 50 meter high wall with two hostile Titan shifters who were getting ready to fight.

_If they transforms now, we're so fucked!_

"Reiner!" Bertolt cried as he grabbed onto Reiner's arm with wide, terrified eyes and still my body wouldn't move, "Right now!? Here?! We're doing this?!"

_Why won't my body move!_

"RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW! LET'S END THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Reiner snarled as he dove forward to grab the front of Eren's shirt and finally my body snapped into action as I threw my fist towards Reiner's ribs with a powerful punch and when he stumbled back, I followed through with a sharp kick to this side and felt the bones of his ribcage give way under my assault as he howled in pain, however, that didn't stop him from surging forward and viscously grabbing my hair.

Instinct took over and moving in closer to his large frame, I jumped and wrapped my legs around his torso forcing him to let go of my hair, lest he knock himself off balance, and locking my hands together I began driving my elbows down _hard_ repeatedly into his face, splattering my lips with his blood, before twisting my entire body backward and throwing him off his feet.

Crying out, Reiner fumbled away from me and pushed back to his feet at the same time I did, ready to go at me again and rushing to draw my blades I heard the distinct whistling of a blade moving through the air and ducked just as Mikasa's tall form sailed over me and slashed her blade down across Reiner's arms, breaking off half of her metal in his forearm, before spinning and slashing open Bertolt's throat, sending his blood arcing through the air. 

"Both of you get out of here!" Mikasa commanded as she stood over her prey and raised her blade ready to end Bertolt's life here and now when Reiner, having regained his footing, ran at her with everything he had.

"MIKASA!" I cried out in warning as I ran to intercept Reiner, but I was too late. Slamming his body into Mikasa's, I screamed in horror as Reiner shoved Mikasa so forcefully, she was thrown from the wall and plummeted out of sight. 

_NO!_

Ripping my blades from their sheaths, I turned with a feral snarl on my face ready to finish what Mikasa had started when my insides pulled painfully, knocking my breath from me once again as the air filled with electric sparks. 

_Oh god... they are going to do it..._

"EREN! AURORA! RUN AWAY!" Rian screamed as he and the rest of the scouts ran towards us but they were too far away, they would never make it on time. Acting on pure instinct, I dove towards Eren and shoved him over the side of the wall hoping to save him at least as lightning bolts of pure light descended from the sky.


	14. The Betrayed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner and Bertolt transformed forcing the scouts to play their hand

AURORA 

Light blinded me as the overwhelming pain of my Titan ability spasmed my entire body before a furnace of wind and heat forced me from my feet and high into the air with a surreal feeling of weightlessness that always came before the descent and at that moment as my body climbed higher and higher, with my vision blinded white, all I could think about was cold grey eyes and midnight black hair. 

_Levi..._

"AURORA!" Eren screamed as my sight slowly returned to me and my stomach plummeted as I began to fall. Panicking, I fumbled for my controls and shot my grapples out to save myself, but the burning wind of a Bertolt's still transforming Titan pushed the grapples back, and gasping in terror my eyes found Eren's as he reached out for me with a scream while being snatched up by the newly formed armoured Titan. All I could do was watch as I pointlessly tried over and over to engage my ODM gear with the sinking reality that was soon to be my death.

"EREN!" I cried out in desperation as Reiner's heavy Titan fell faster than me down the wall, when suddenly a bright light erupted from his hand and once again, I was blown upwards with the rush of hot air before my ears pricked with an all too familiar Titan scream.

_Eren…_

Steaming and newly formed, Eren's Titan threw a vicious punch at Reiner's jaw, knocking the Armoured Titan out of my descent path with a feral scream that had me clutching my ears as I fell. Twisting around in the air, Eren's large teal eyes fixed on me, and my eyes widened in choked fear as his hand snaked out and snatched me from the air none too gently before pulling me to his chest and shielding me in both of his hands, blocking out the light as we slammed into the earth, throwing me around my flesh cage.

_Shit shit shit shit shit!_

My breath was tearing violently out my lips as I began to panic in the enclosed space, blinded to what was happening outside as I rose up and down on Eren's chest with each breath he took and once the sound of loud thundering footsteps made its way into my black prison, I began hammering on the flesh of Eren's hands and screaming at the top of my lungs to let him know I wanted the fuck out.

Opening up his palms, the rising sun poured through Eren's fingers as he grasped hold of me as gently as he could and rose to a sitting position to stare down at me intently and all I could do was stare wide-eyed as his hot breath blew across my face because this was the first time I had seen his Titan form up close and personal, the sight of which took my breath away.

Dark shaggy hair fell into his large teal eyes that were the only signs of Eren in the terrifying form, everything else was alien and darkly beautiful and reaching out my hand towards his exposed jaw, a single tear leaked down my face at seeing the godlike being my little brother had become to save me when suddenly he jerked up and screamed in territorial warning to the enemy that was approaching from behind at a slow leisurely pace.

_Reiner..._

"AURORA!" Rian's alarmed voice rang out from above me and craning back, I spotted my twin as he grappled up onto Eren's shoulder and slid down his chest towards me before clambering onto Eren's hand and grabbing my face with wide eyes searching for any form of injury as I struggling to pull myself free from Eren's grip. 

_We need to get out of here._

"HE'S HOLDING ME TOO TIGHT!" I shouted a little too loud as I pushed his hands from my face and began hammering my fist against Eren's skin in the hopes he would let me go to get the hell out the way before the Titan smash down began, "I CAN'T GET OUT!"

"EREN, LET HER GO!" Rian boomed as he stomped his foot down into Eren's flesh and instantly the finger's around my body loosened as Eren pushed to his feet. Opening his palm underneath me, I dropped to my knees on the rough flesh only to be quickly stuffed under Rian's arm and carried away towards the wall as Rian engaged his ODM gear, leaving Eren behind to defend us as Reiner closed the space between them. 

"You good?!" Rian panted once he had secured us on the wall and shoved me up onto his back with my arms wrapped around his shoulders giving me a bird's eye view of Reiner's and Eren's Titan below, and Bertolt's Colossal Titan above in all its terrifying glory, just like it had been that day.

"Reiner tried to take me," I swallowed thickly before looking back down and meeting Rian's angry eyes, "He wanted us and Eren to go with him and Bertolt."

"What the hell for-"

"SOLDIERS!" Hange's voice screamed from above us, and both Rian and I turned to watch with bated breath as Hange swung out over the wall and beelined for Bertolt, "PREPARE TO ATTACK! THE COLOSSAL TITAN DOESN'T WALK AWAY FROM THIS IT'S A THREAT TO ALL MANKIND! SWARM AND TERMINATE!"

_What is she doing?!_

Scouts sailed through the air as Rian tensed beneath me and looking back down I saw why Reiner and Eren were upon each other and Eren wasn't holding back as he swung with all his might for Reiner's jaw only to have his hand snap clean off without making a dent, giving Reiner his opening to throw his own fist and send Eren flying backwards through the air.

_NO!_

My grip on Rian's shoulders tightened making him hiss as Eren's Titan crashing into the earth with a feral scream of frustration before he pushed himself back up onto his feet, his jaw bent at an awkward angle as blood and steam poured from it.

_Reiner outclasses him in weight and power, Eren can't win in a conventional fistfight...._

A blast suddenly erupted from above, and the screams of our comrades followed as the air filled with burning steam emitting from Bertolt's Titan as he held his arms out to the heavens like a man in prayer and my teeth grit together as Hange's order to retreat hollered out into the chaos.

_WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?! IS HE TRYING TO ESCAPE?!_

"Is he vanishing?" I asked incredulously as I watched the cloud of steam densify above us like a thunderstorm rolling in. If he really was vanishing, where did he hope to run to? Without his Titan, he would never be able to outrun us, not with Reiner occupied with Eren, so what was the play here?

"I don't think so," Rian hedged as he too watched the chaos above with razor-sharp eyes, "in Shiganshina he was gone instantaneously. He's maintaining his form to chuck out all that steam, a defence maybe?"

 _It_ **_IS_ ** _a defence!_

"I couldn't grapple to the wall when he was transforming, the steam made my rig useless." I fumed as it all made sense, Bertolt was preventing us from grappling onto him to make the killing strike, and that made him all the more dangerous, "We can't take them alive, not when they can do this, we can't contain the big fucker underground anyway."

"Agreed." Rian nodded as he drew his blades before pointing one down to Reiner who was dominating the fight against Eren, with burning eyes, "But first things first, we kill _**him**_."

*******

_"You sure he's the one to ask? What about that Jean kid?" I asked as Rian, and I made our way towards the 104th male barracks to ask a very personal favour of Eren's tall friend Reiner Braun before our graduation ceremony, and our imminent joining of the soldiers of the damned, The Survey Corps._

_"You've clearly been misreading that relationship dynamic" Rian laughed as he shook his head, "They don't get on at all. Besides, Reiner is a good kid, and Eren worships the ground he walks on, I'm almost jealous."_

_"I still don't see why we have to ask him anyway," I protested without any real fire, I wasn't entirely comfortable with asking someone I barely knew for a favour, but what Rian was proposing wouldn't exactly hurt, "it's not like the kids are on their own, they have each other"_

_"Reiner is older, so is his friend Bertolt, the kids are that, kids. Having two older guys keeping an eye out for them will put my mind at ease once were gone. You know how Eren is, trouble is always finding him and by extension, Armin and Mikasa, were not going to be around to stop that for the next couple of years" Rian explained, and I gave him a knowing smile, the overprotective fool, "Don't give me that look, just let me do this okay?"_

_"As you say, dear brother, woe be it for me to stop your mother hening" I teased though I was somewhat pleased secretly, I had been losing sleep over the prospect of leaving the kids behind to join the scouts, and though that anxiety wouldn't be remedied till I saw them again, this did somewhat ease it._

_Finally arriving at the cabin, Rian climbed the steps and delivered a sharp rapping on the wooden door and stood back as the very person we were looking for opened the door and startled some as he took in Rian's lanky frame and me leaning against the bannister at the bottom of the stairs._

_"Er hey guys, if you're looking for Eren and Armin they left not long ago to get good seats for the graduation ceremony with Mikasa," Reiner said as he scratched the back of his neck, somewhat nervous as his eyes darted between Rian and me._

_"Actually, it's you we wanted to talk to if you have a moment?" Rian smiled and gestured to outside the cabin before leading Reiner down the stairs so that we were all standing together._

_"Is everything alright?" Reiner asked, his nerves visibly rising, and I smiled reassuringly at the 15-year-old._

_"Tomorrow Aurora and I will be leaving for the scouts after graduation, this isn't news but still I – no we- feel a little out of sorts about the idea of leaving Eren, Armin and Mikasa behind again," Rian shared before placing his hand on Reiner's shoulder, "I know I have no right to ask, but I was hoping you would look out for them, Eren especially, and keep them out of trouble in our place."_

_"Why me?" Reiner asked taken back slightly as his eyes darted between Rian and me, clearly unaware of the high regard Eren held for him._

_"Eren and Armin look up to you, they will listen to what you have to say, and because of that, I trust you. Mikasa will follow them both as she always does and the three of them are precious to us, so what do you say, fancy taking on our three kids and keeping them safe?" Rian said light-heartedly, but his eyes were deadly serious, and I felt a lump forming in my throat because this was Rian's way of making sure they were okay before we went to make good on our word._

_"You can count on me, always" Reiner swore as his chest puffed out in pride and my eyes stung slightly at the tell-tale sign of tears forcing me to look away lest I show my weakness._

******

_You can count on me, always... lying treacherous fuck, even back then he was playing us all false. we **trusted** him._

Dark anticipation flooded my veins as my muscles clenched with the anger I had been struggling to keep at bay, Reiner, the lying piece of shit, would die first, I don't care how or who did it, so long as he died, that's all that matters. He pretended to be their friend, he was Eren's hero in the Training Corps, Eren would have given anything in the world to be half as strong as him, and Reiner betrayed him, he betrayed us all.

A line shot out from above us, and a familiar figure flew through the air towards the battling Titans as Reiner knocked Eren on his ass again, making my heart constrict as I watched her grapple onto Reiner's Titan with her blades drawn. 

_No...he will kill her..._

"MIKASA!" Rian called out in warning as he disengaged his hooks and we both free fell before grappling after Mikasa onto Reiner's shoulders as Mikasa drove her blades into his armour over and over, chipping her blades down to the nub as she growled in frustration. 

_Our blades can't damage his skin...._

"His armour is head to toe; my blades aren't doing shit!" Mikasa raged as the last of her blade broke off, and we all stood their uselessly as Reiner stalking towards Eren's sparked out Titan. Without our blades, we were out of this fight, Eren was our only hope, but unless he got up in the next ten seconds, Reiner would be upon him and it would all be over. My mind sparked suddenly as a really stupid plan sprung to mind, but with nothing else to go off, it was all I had, and it was what I was going with. 

"Rian, Mikasa get Eren up!" I ordered as I clambered up Reiner's shoulder towards his face and staring at me in utter dissention, Rian made to protest but I shot him a 'do as your fucking told' look that had his eyes widening and his head nodding in understanding before he grabbed Mikasa and dove off Reiner's Titan.

_Here goes nothing._

"EREN GET THE FUCK UP!" Rian bellowed and using that as my cue, I engaged my ODM gear and swung around to Reiner's face before attempting to stab my blade through his eye, however, the blade broke off just as it Mikasa's did on his armour and I screamed in frustration making Reiner stop in his tracks and focus on me.

_He's watching me....I have to keep him doing that.... buy Eren as much time as possible!_

"Hey, Reiner! Asshole!" I spat venomously as the words came pouring out my mouth without any planning or thought as I unleashed the anger inside me and I swear I felt the Titan beneath me tense, "I don't know what kind of face your making right now but I hope you conniving fucks are pleased with yourselves! The blood of thousands of innocents is dripping from your hands! You butchered your own kind! I could scour through the history of mankind and never find anyone a fraction as evil and twisted as you! I should have killed you both when I had the chance! I should have cut your damn heads off! You deserve to burn in hellfire for what you have done, you deserve to listen to the screams of your victims for all eternity-"

"AURORA!" Mikasa's voice rang out in warning cutting off my hoarse voice and turning to slowly, my eyes widened in awe as Eren's smoking Titan rose to his feet, his eyes locking in on Reiner with a primal scream of fury that shook his entire body and a feral grin spread across my face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the Kudos and Comments, you guys are literally making my days!


	15. The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner and Eren battle it out

RIAN 

Landing on the grass with a skidding halt, I panted in exertion and I watched Eren's Titan form shake with rage before he ran at Reiner with a feral scream as Aurora used her gas to rocket herself away from the clashing Titans. Running forwards, I shot my grapple upwards in a move we had only ever executed once before due to how dangerous it was and waited on bated breath as Aurora threw her own grapple out and snagged my line with hers, allowing me to reel her in towards me. Disengaging at the last moment, Aurora flipped herself backwards to slow her moment and landed on the grass hunkered over, sliding back a few more meters as she watched Reiner pummelling Eren down.

"He's too heavy to win in a fist fight, he's going to have to get in close and use his weight against him!" Aurora grunted as she righted herself and took off towards Eren's prone form, throwing her arms around her head to get his attention, "EREN GET UP! GET UP AND TAKE HIM TO THE GROUND!"

_What the hell is she talking about?!_

As if hearing our sister's words, Eren's Titan forced himself back up to his feet and screamed once again though this time the steam leaving his body seemed to double as his hands rapidly regenerated.

_She's egging him on? Why? What good could that possibly do?!_

"NO!" Armin's voice boomed from upon the wall, contradicting Aurora's words, "BACK DOWN YOU CAN'T WIN IN A FIST FIGHT! EREN PLEASE, DON'T BE RASH!"

"SHUT IT ARMIN!" Aurora snarled as she turned around and jabbed her finger at Armin up on the wall, ending his protests, before she spun back around to Eren's Titan, "EREN! REMEMBER WHAT WE WERE TAUGHT! THE BIGGER THEY ARE THE HARDER THEY FALL!"

*********

_"I don't know about this Rowan, isn't he a bit young for this?" Carla fretted as she eyed her only son and the fresh black eye he was sporting from her husband's side as he too watched Eren with worried eyes. He had been brawling again with the town bullies after they had tormented my cousin Armin just like always, except this time Aurora and I hadn't been fast enough to stop the one punch that had connected with his Eren's small head, leading us to our current situation of Eren's parents coming to my Grandfather of all people for help._

**_I wish they had chosen someone else..._ **

_"Rian and Aurora were younger when I began teaching them, and as Grisha put it if he is old enough to get his ass handed to him, then he is old enough to learn how to defend himself" Grandfather grunted as he pulled Aurora forward by her arm and spun her around to face him as Carla shot Grisha a scathing look._

_"Those weren't my **exact** words" Grisha defended as he narrowed his eyes at Grandfather, "But he isn't the wrong dear, A day will come where Aurora and Rian won't be able to help him, and Eren may have to protect them, this is a cruel world we live in my love." _

_"True enough" Grandfather nodded before he gestured for Eren to step forward and shuffling forward, the 8-year-old pulled at his clothes to come and stand before my Grandfather and Aurora, "Right then just the basics as agreed. For today Eren, you're going to watch Aurora and then tomorrow we are going to see what you have learned. Aurora is a lot smaller than me, just like you are against those bullies but that doesn't mean she can't win," Rowan lectured before he turned to his granddaughter expectantly, "What is the first rule of combat?"_

_"There are no rules" Aurora answered immediately and continued on when Grandfather nodded to her with a slight smile pulling at his lips, "When in combat never assumed your enemy will fight with honour and as such use every opportunity to stack the odds in your favour. Attack the enemy when and where they least expect, where the ground and environment favours you. Attack them when they are at their most vulnerable to cause maximum damage. Always cheat and never give your opponent a fair chance, because if you do, your finished."_

_"That's easy for you to say! How do I do that when they are bigger and stronger than me?!" Eren huffed as he cast his eyes to the ground, and his dark shaggy hair fell into his eyes. Sighing, my Grandfather knelt down on the ground with his joints popping and grasped Eren's chin firmly, forcing him to meet his eyes._

**_And so, the lesson begins..._ **

_"Sometimes our greatest strengths are our biggest weakness, and when faced with an enemy who is both bigger and stronger than you remember this, the bigger they are, the harder they fall."_

********

_Grandfather... that's what Aurora meant..._

Another feral scream ripped from Eren's throat, so piercing I had to clamp my hands down over my ears for fear that my eardrums would burst, before he stalked forward to meet Reiner's sailing fist, too far gone to listen to Aurora's or Armin's contrasting words.

_He's blinded by rage..._

"EREN!" Mikasa screamed in fear as she rushed forward only to be tackled by Aurora and pinned to the ground as the two women watched Eren speed towards his doom. Bottom lip quivering, I waited on bated breath for the inevitable connection of Reiner's fist with Eren's jaw, but instead, I felt my own jaw drop as Eren's Titan ducked beneath Reiner's powerful swing and brought his arms up around Reiner's head, locking in place, before swinging his weight and bringing the armoured Titan to the ground.

_Take him to the ground..._

"YES! THAT'S IT EREN!" Aurora hollered as she pushed herself up above Mikasa and dragged the taller woman to her feet, "BRING THE FUCKER DOWN!"

Reiner shoved Eren off his body and pushed to his feet, but little good it did as Eren brought his legs up and locked them around Reiner's head and grasped his arm trapping him in place, entirely at Eren's mercy. Snarling, Reiner's Titan attempted to force his way free of Eren's grip, but having none of that, Eren readjusted his grapple and slammed Reiner back into the earth before screaming and tearing his arm free from his body, sending it hurtling towards Aurora and Mikasa. Running forward with my heart in my mouth, I grabbed the two women by the arms and dragged them forward just as the steaming limb sailed over our heads, landing right where they had been standing.

 _Too fucking close_!

"He did it...." Mikasa breathed, staring wide-eyed at the steaming Titan limb as the sound of ODM gear dropped behind us and turning I met Armin's eyes full of awe as he too stared at the disintegrating arm.

"His armour is his weakness, it makes him heavy and slow in close quarters," Aurora premised as she watched Reiner push himself up with his remaining arm before she turned to us all, "I don't know where he learned that move, grandfather didn't teach it to him, but it's working."

"It was Annie, she taught him that during hand to hand combat training in the cadets," Armin said, and a maniacal laugh burst out of my lips making everyone but Aurora stare at me like a madman because she too understood why I was so amused by the fact that Annie had taught Eren the exact move that had lost Reiner his arm. 

_Want to eradicate Humanity? Maybe next time don't teach our heavy hitter how to kick your ass!_

"We can't do this forever; we need a plan." Aurora stated over the top of my cackles as she turned back to the battling Titans, "Even if Eren manages to take Reiner out the fight, we've still got the big one up there to deal with and he is only partially transformed. When he decides to stop fucking around there is little we can do to stop him."

"Your right." Armin muttered to himself, his gaze zeroed in on Eren for a moment before he forward and began shouting at the top of his lungs, "EREN CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" 

_What is he doing?_

Turning his massive head, Eren peered down towards Armin with narrowed eyes showing he was listening intently to what Armin had to say.

"RUN AWAY!" Armin begged, and strangely enough, Aurora did not argue like I thought she would, instead she kept on looking between Reiner and Bertolt with a deep frown on her face, "THEY ARE TRYING TO ABDUCT YOU; WE CAN'T LET THEM DO THAT! TRUST ME! ESCAPE IS OUR BEST OPTION!"

_Escape to where though? Even If by some chance we manage to get back to safety, it may force Reiner and Bertolt to destroy wall Rose and drive Humanity back to Wall Sheena. We can't let that happen, not now not ever._

"You say that, but Armin come on, they aren't going to let us just leave." Mikasa pointed out the other undeniable fact staring us in the face, Reiner was committed to seeing this through, otherwise he wouldn't have called his hand now. This wasn't a game to him, this was life and death, and there was no way on hell he is going to let us leave here without a fight.

"It's not just Eren he wants, he wants to take Rian and me too, though he did say he would settle for just Eren and me given he was on a timed schedule," Aurora added with snarky attitude as the wind suddenly picked up whipping her hair out behind her and Armin turned to her with a shocked expression.

"Why does he wan-"

"ALL OF YOU!" Moblit's voice boomed out from the wall, making us all turn, "FALL BACK TO THE WALL NOW!"

Armin and I turned to follow orders but looking back over my shoulder I saw Aurora standing with Mikasa watching Eren enter a combat stance and growling in frustration, Aurora grabbed Mikasa's arm and pulled the girl away before they engaged their ODM gear and headed for the wall. Following behind them, I too made my way for the cover Rose provided when suddenly all the light seemed to disappear as a large shadow descended above me and landing on the wall, I was shaken by a blast of that forced me to close my eyes. 

Squinting through the dirt that had been thrown up by the wind, I breathed out in a relief I hadn't known I had been waiting for as I saw Eren's Titan braced against the wall with his massive arm splayed out against the stone beneath where Aurora and Mikasa had anchored, in a defensive posture.

_He's protecting Aurora, he isn't going to let Reiner take her..._

"NICE ONE EREN!" Hange called from above us as she grappled down onto the wall, "GOOD CALL!"

"Looks like he is in control again." Mikasa acknowledged as she stared down at Eren's panting Titan.

"Yeah, but Reiner isn't just going to let him go, your right, escape is impossible." Armin fretted not helping the situation at all, a fact I had been about to voice when Aurora suddenly disengaged her hooks and fell onto Eren's arm before clambering up onto his shoulder and tugging on his hair.

"Can you hear me?" Aurora asked and turning his large teal eyes towards her, Eren nodded his head making Aurora smile softly, "If we're going to get out of here, you've got to buy us some time to come up with a plan and stop Reiner dead in his tracks."

"His weight is his weakness," Aurora declared as she turned to look at the slow approaching Reiner, "Use it and get him into another grapple hold, go for his legs if you can, that way he can't come after you on foot. We will try to help, but our blades are useless against that armour, so it's pretty much down to you. I know you can do this, he's no different than any other attacker you have faced before and just like them, he can be beaten. You've just got to use your head-"

"Mikasa, take my blades," Armin offered as he held out his blades to Mikasa who took them eagerly, causing me to miss Aurora's pep talk, "I want you to use them."

"This is the one time that running away guarantees victory," Aurora continued on, and I listened intently, "They are screwed for showing us their true colours, and they know it, they have backed themselves into a corner and were going to use that to take their hearts, but until then we have to get you out of here. We're counting on you to help us do that; so, can you do this?"

Nodding his massive head, Eren brought his free hand up and used a single finger to gently rest on Aurora's head and patting the side of his finger, Aurora smiled before turning and grappling on the wall just in time to see Reiner lower himself like an athlete at a starting block.

_Oh shit._

Pushing off from the ground, Reiner propelled himself forward with incredible speed and barrelled straight into Eren, slamming him into the wall and disengaging my ODM gear, I swung around and dragged Aurora away with me as Reiner attempted to pummel Eren's face into the ground. 

_Fuck he's fast._

"THE LEG EREN!" Aurora screamed as Eren dodged Reiner's vicious assault, "GO FOR THE LEG!"

Hearing her words, Eren's Titan scrambled to grip Reiner's leg but being as close as he was, Reiner had obviously heard Aurora too and moved to pin Eren and block his reach, preventing him from doing just that.

"DON'T LET REINER PEN YOU!" Armin cried out as we sailed above the fight below.

"THROW HIM!" Mikasa shouted in desperation, and using his legs, Eren did just that and forced Reiner back before clambering to his feet and backing up, leaving a nice wide-open space for Reiner to charge.

"There's too much power behind his attack," I muttered more to myself than to Aurora who I still had a firm grip on as Reiner did precisely as I predicted and attempted to charge at Eren who narrowly avoided being slammed again. 

"Since when is he so light on his feet!" Aurora snarled as she pulled out from my grip and engaged her own ODM gear, "Without our blades we're fucking useless!"

"No, It's not feasible that his entire body is armour, he wouldn't be able to move as fast if that's the case." Hange theorised as she flew beside us and I grit my teeth together in irritation at her musings, if she had something to add she should just spit it out instead of drawing it out. 

"What are you saying?" I snapped as Reiner began to correct himself and leaned down once again, ready to charge.

"Warriors used to sheath themselves in armour, way back in the olden days, they had to leave certain sections uncovered for freedom of movements like the armpits and the groin or the spot behind the knees," Hange explained, and Mikasa's head snapped down to look at those exact spots on Reiner's Titan as he charged at Eren, leaving no room for escape.

"LET HIM SLAM YOU!" Aurora bellowed, and I agreed with her assessment, if your backs against the wall the only thing you can do is use it, "C'MON EREN USE YOUR DAMN HEAD!"

Bracing himself, Eren opened his arms as if in an awaiting embrace, but I knew exactly what he was going to do and crying out in victory, I watched as Eren allowed Reiner to slam him just as Aurora had said and locked his arms and legs around Reiner's body as they fell, trapping the Armoured Titan in his vice-like grip, making him his prisoner.

"YES, THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE!" I cheered as I landed on the wall and turned to Aurora to share the victory as she landed too, only her eyes fixed on Mikasa who was still in the air.

"GO!" Aurora ordered, and the breath left my chest as Mikasa sailed through the air, twisting and arcing to gain momentum before she descended down on Reiner's leg and cut straight through his leg muscle, sending blood squirting in her wake.

_She did it! She took his leg!_

"NICE CUTS!" Hange praised as Eren let out a feral scream and began to bring his strength to bear, sending shards of Reiner's armour up into the air as it began to give under strain.

"YOU'VE GOT THIS!" Armin boomed as blood began to spurt from the cracks forming on Reiner's back.

"GO FOR IT EREN!" Aurora snarled from her perch with a burning need for blood in her eyes, "RIP HIS FUCKING HEAD OFF AND DRAG HIM OUT INTO THE OPEN!"

Dropping down to grapple beside me, Nifa watched the wrestling match unfold with awe as Reiner began to use his arms and remaining leg to push himself and Eren along the floor, with no particular goal that I could see.

_What is he doing?_

"YOU'VE GOT HIM, KEEP IT UP!" Nifa cried out in encouragement, but something wasn't sitting right with me, and I wasn't the only one.

"Guys," Aurora fretted beside Armin, her bloodlust giving way to concern as she watched Reiner crawl across the earth, "I have a bad feeling-"

A high-pitched scream that only a Titan could make ripped through the air, though unlike the other times this scream did not belong to Eren, but to Reiner.

_Annie did the exact same thing before she escaped..._

"EVERYONE BE ON GUARD HES CALLING FOR BACK UP!" Hange warned, completely forgetting she had two literal Titan detectors on hand to confirm if that was what Reiner was doing. Turning to Aurora, I conveyed a command with my eyes and without needing to say a word, Aurora closed her eyes in what I assume was her focusing in on her Titan ability, searching for any new threats approaching.

"TRY SCREAMING FOR HELP WITHOUT A HEAD ASSHOLE!" Moblit hollered out as Eren choked off Reiner's scream, however the Armoured Titan had come to a stop at his chosen location and opening her eyes again, Aurora shook her head to me before twisting to call up to Hange.

"NO TITANS ARE APPROACHING! WHATEVER THAT SCREAM WAS FOR IT WASN'T TO CALL FOR BACKUP!"

_What? That makes no sense, why scream if he can't summon Titans? Why push Eren all that way? What was he trying to accomplish?_

Shivers ran down my spine as a niggling at the back of my mind made me look around in search of what Reiner was calling out for and seeing nothing evident on the ground I hazarded a look above and choked on my own cry of terror. Sensing my fear, Aurora turned to look at me and following my line of sight she began to scream in warning as Bertolt's partially transformed steaming Colossal Titan began to fracture off from the wall and tip towards us all.

_When he decides to stop fucking around there is little we can do to stop him._

"NO NO NO NO NO!" Armin cried out as Aurora swung herself around and shielded as much of his body with hers and following her example, I grabbed Nifa and stuffed her beneath my frame as the last of Bertolt's Titan ribs broke free from the wall sending the Titan into a free fall.

"EREN! ABOVE YOU!" Aurora screamed in warning but it was too late, no one could stop this now, "LOOK OUT!"

Bertolt's Colossal Titan fell like a fireball straight from hell, crashing down upon Eren and Reiner, sending out a blast of light, heat and wind that pulled the very air from my lungs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments, kudos, bookmarks and subscriptions! you guys are the best!


	16. Dark was the Messenger's Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word of the Armoured and Colossal Titan reaches Trost

JEAN

Chatter filled the street as soldiers from all three regiments crowed the lower ward of Trost waiting upon the word of Commander Erwin for when we were to ride out and attempt to push back the Titans. 

Hange and her team, along with Eren, had left just over a day ago according to Captain Levi who had arrived this morning, and since then I had been stuck here waiting for something to do other than picturing all the ways my friends could be out there dying at the hands of those monsters.

_Barely defeat one enemy, and twenty more turns up in its place, will this ever end?_

“Man, can you believe we didn’t see a single Titan?” A scout just off to the side said quietly to his friend and my head snapped up to stare at him in disbelief, did he really just say he didn’t see any Titans?

_That can’t be right, they were swarming in Trost and that was a fallen gate, a hole in the wall would have hundreds of the bastards pouring in._

“What?” I interrupted incredulous, and both men turned to look at me with troubled eyes, “Are you saying you didn’t see any Titans, like at all?”

“I know right, it’s unusually quiet out there.” the scout replied.

I felt a slither of hope creep into my heart because if what he said was true, then it could mean we had a real shot of driving them back like we did in Trost, that being said, we would still need our best scouts, the ones that could make a life and death difference being out in the field and with Captain Levi out of the action and his team all K.I.A., we needed the scouts from Section Commander Miche’s unit now more than ever. If anyone could push back Titans, it was them, especially with the Sparhawke Twins spearheading the counter-attack. 

_Their ability and skill could turn the tide for us, but first we would have to find them..._

“I wonder if they’re still alive,” I muttered to myself as I remembered the last time I had seen Rian and Aurora in the corridor at Stohess HQ, and my heart fluttered as Aurora’s words came to mind, filling me with a sense of pride.

_Freedom in her wisdom has chosen you to defend her, and she has chosen well. You are some of the best Humanity has to offer, and I’m proud to serve with you both... Aurora, you better be alive after spouting that shit, you have a job to do, and I’m not picking up the flame if you-_

“What a joke, I thought this was supposed to be an emergency.” An Mp spat, pulling me from my thoughts of a certain redhead’s heart inspiring words and turning around in my seat, I glared at a group of M.P.s standing with their thumbs up their asses bitching on about the lack of action.

_Stupid fucks, they would shit themselves as soon as a Titan laid their eyes on them._

“We just come here to sit on our backsides or what?” the Mp continued on before his eyes focused on the carriage parked in the street and its two occupants with a smug smile, “Hey Levi, where are you hiding all the Titans?”

_Oh, you’re in for it now._

“Problem?” Captain Levi drawled as he turned to peer behind him with a mildly disgusted expression, “You seem eager to be eaten alive soldier.” 

_If only._

Smiling to myself, I watched the MP visibly quiver at the cold look in the Captain’s eyes which was nothing more than he deserved for spouting off like he had a pair of brass balls when really he had not a damn thing between his legs or his ears for that matter.

“Sorry we couldn’t make that happen for you today,” Captain Levi continued as he gave the men his famous death stare and I had to stop myself from openly laughing, “Plenty of opportunities outside the wall if you’re looking, lots of scouting expeditions, I’d be more than happy for the help, we can all fight Titans together.”

_I’ll bet!_

“Well ya know there is our work in the interior so...” the M.P. avoided the Captain’s offer, and I couldn’t stop the scoff at the MPs poorly veiled cowardice, what a joke they were. Once I would have given my right arm to be one of them, and now, the very idea of being one disgusts me, and I blame Marco and Aurora for that.

_Marco would have followed Aurora like a lost puppy had he lived to see her fight that day in Trost; I think she would have managed to turn his sights from the MPs to the scouts-_

“HEY!!” A soldier hollered over the crowd, drawing everyone’s attention, “THE ADVANCED SQUAD IS BACK! GO AND TELL COMMANDER PYXIS!”

Scouts, MPs and Garrison guards alike began rushing forward and pushing to my feet, I too pushed my way through the crowd until I was at the centre of the circle where Sasha and a Garrison officer were on their knees gulping down water from the canters offered to them with Commander Erwin and Commander Pyxis looking down on them both with varying levels of concern.

_That can’t be good._

“I see,” Commander Pyxis mused as he scratched his chin, “No breach as far as you can tell, correct?”

_What?!_

“That’s correct sir,” the garrison guard panted as he swallowed a mouthful of water.

“Hmmm as I thought.” Commander Pyxis nodded as he turned to Commander Erwin with a knowing look just as someone pushed me aside forcefully and setting to tell whoever it was to watch what they were doing, I swallowed my words when I saw Captain Levi with a strange look in his usual cold eyes, almost like a longing.

“But sir a situation has developed,” The garrison soldier spoke up, and everyone turned to look at him with bated breath, “You see, we ran into another group on the way back to Trost. It was the scout unit lead by section commander Hange, there were recruits from the 104th cadet corps with them, none of whom had equipment, this may sound crazy sir...but three of them were _TITANS_!”

_No... he can’t mean that... Annie was the only one.... she had to be..._

“What the... Hang on a sec... you mean like, there were 3 more? But who were they?” I stammered out as I turned to Sasha looking for answers, but all she did was stare at me with sad eyes and my temper spiked, “WHO DAMMIT!?”

_She chooses now to go all quiet! Who was it?! Who had betrayed us!?_

“Actually... I ….erm....” Sasha quavered as she turned her eyes away from me and I took a step forward to grab hold of her and rattle the truth from her when Commander Erwin held up his hand, halting me.

“Jean, calm down.” Commander Erwin ordered before he spoke softly to Sasha as if to soothe a frightened child, which in a way I guess she was, “What happened when their Titan forms were revealed?”

_Never mind what happened! Who the fuck was it!?_

Shaking her head, hot tears fell from Sasha’s eyes, and I stumbled back a step in shock. I had never seen Sasha actually cry, even when Commandant Shadies had taken away her food privileges and ran her into the ground or when faced with death in Trost, she had never cried, but here she was bawling her eyes out like a baby because whatever she knew was too much for her to bear, I know because the look in her eyes was what I had felt when Armin had told me about Annie’s involvement with Marco’s ODM gear, it was the look of utter betrayal.

“The scouts engaged the colossal Titan and armoured Titan as best they could sir,” the garrison soldier answered for Sasha with a forlorn expressed and my stomach sank, “But by the time our unit arrived on the scene it was too late, I’m sorry.”

_What does that even mean?! Are they dead?! Did they survive?! What the fuck did he mean?!_

“Everyone prepare to move out now!” Commander Erwin ordered, his voice leaving no room for an argument and everyone sprang into action, everyone except Captain Levi who moved forward to kneel down in front of Sasha.

“Sasha, did Aurora make it to H.Q?” Captain Levi asked very slowly, almost as if he wanted to keep his voice level and stepping forward without meaning too, I looked down at Sasha waiting to hear her next words, “Did she survive?”

_Of course she is alive, she has to be!_

There is no way Aurora hadn’t survived, I had watched her slaughter multiple Titans singlehanded, I had watched her bring Annie to her knees so Eren could end the fight, she had survived assassinations attempts, Trost, the scouts, cadet training and Shiganshina, if anyone had a will to live it was that woman, Titan invasion or not, right?

“Yes sir, she did” Sasha sniffled, and I saw the Captain visibly relax, just as I did, before Sasha dealt a hard blow, “Though the rest of her unit did not survive sir, they were attacked by...well I don’t really know sir, it best to read the debrief, but the Vanguard unit was wiped out except for Aurora, and Section Commander Miche is M.I.A. The last I saw Aurora, she was definitely alive, if not a little worse for wear after the battle with the Armoured and Colossal Titans.”

_That isn’t good at all..._

“When isn’t she?” Captain Levi muttered to himself as he pushed himself back to his feet and stalked off toward Commander Erwin with doom written all over him, leaving me with a still weeping Sasha.

“Sasha...” I sighed as I held my hand for her to take and pulling her to her feet, I met her eyes with pleading ones,“Just tell me.... who are they?”

“Ymir, Reiner and Bertolt.” Sasha cried softly before she flung her arms around me, sobbing, and just like that, my world turned upside down.

* * *

LEVI 

“I’m going,” I informed Erwin the moment I was next to him, and turn back around to go and find some gear. The moment I had heard that she was alive, I knew I wasn’t going to sit back and leave her to her fate, not this time, not when I knew she had lost her entire unit.

_Miche was a father to her, Nanaba and Gelgar were like family, she won’t be thinking clearly, she will be burning with rage just like I had been-_

“No, you are staying here,” Erwin ordered, and I froze on the spot before turning slowly to meet his bright blue eyes with my burning grey ones.

_What the fuck did he just say to me?_

“I mean it, Levi, you are to stay here.” Erwin put his foot down as soon as he saw the expression on my face, and I openly laughed at the authority he was trying to exert over me, did he think I was going to take his order seriously, _me_?

“I invite you to try and stop me.” I dared as I squared up to the taller man and saw a hard edge form behind his eyes. 

“I will if I have to.” Erwin warned, and I felt my teeth bare at the threat, “You aren’t fit for active duty; you would only be a burden.”

 _He can't be fucking serious!_

“We both know that’s bullshit,” I snarled as I took another step forward and the Scouts around us seemed to fan out, giving me a wide berth, “Even injured I’m worth a hundred M.P.s-”

“This isn’t a debate, you’re staying here and watching Pastor Nick, that’s an order.” Erwin snapped back, his composure beginning to crack at my blatant lack of disregard for his authority, something he probably wasn’t used to because even in the moments when I strongly disagreed with his orders, I would voice my distaste but I would always follow his commands, but how could I do that now, how could I follow him with no questions asked when my whole world was beyond that wall fighting for us all.

_How could I live with myself if I never saw her again?_

“If you think for one moment-”

“Did I not say that I would allow your personal relationship with officer Sparhawke as long as it did not affect your duty to Humanity. Is this not exactly that?” Erwin condemned in a hushed tone as he closed the gap between us to make sure no one else heard, “We all want Aurora back, albeit for very reasons, but riding off to ruin when you’re not your best puts not only you in danger but her as well.”

I jerked back as if slapped, Erwin’s word resounding deep within me as Aurora’s smiling face dominated my mind and shifted to that of how she had been when I had found her in her brother’s arms, pale and bloody.

_I can’t see her like that again._

“Do you seriously think she wouldn’t rush to rescue you the moment you found yourself in danger because you are injured and not to full strength?” Erwin asked incredulously, and I stared at his face slack-jawed as his words tasted like ashes, “I can’t have my best soldiers killed in action because they were too busy focusing on each other instead of the bigger picture.” 

_The bigger picture… the reclamation of Wall Maria._

Suddenly it all made sense and my anger began to peak, this wasn’t about me being at my best, far from it. This was about Aurora protecting me because I was injured, this was me forsaking all others so that Aurora could live, this was about us prioritising each other over Eren.

_How dare he?! Haven’t I given everything to Eren?! My whole squad died for him; my woman almost died for him! I risked my life to get him back, and now he demands more!_

“This isn’t about Aurora and me, this is about Eren!” I accused, my fists clenching at my sides with barely contained rage to stop myself from breaking Erwin’s nose.

“Your damn right it is!” Erwin declared, entirely convicted in his decision, “He is the best chance we have of taking back Maria, without him, we have nothing, and I can’t have you risking that for one woman.”

_She isn’t just one woman to me! She is all I have left in this fucked up world!_

“How fucking dare you!” I seethed murderously, “She isn’t just one woman-”

“Your right, she isn’t, and just as I can’t have Eren’s safety forfeited, I can’t have Aurora throwing her life away to save you and by extension her brother’s who will do anything to save his sister.” Erwin reasoned with a bit more tact, and I felt his words as surely as if he had kicked me in the gut because his words rang true, “Think about the devasting impact that could have Levi, the death rate of the scouts would skyrocket without the Sparhawkes at the helm of the formation.”

“Then why send her out there in the first place?” I argued futilely, the fire in me beginning to wane as Erwin’s words sunk in, but still desperate to not be left behind uselessly while the woman I loved fought our battles for me.

_I swore that I would kill anything that tried to take her from me..._

“Because it’s her job,” Erwin stated, and I winced at the stark reminder that Aurora was above all else a soldier, her first duty was to Humanity, not to me or anyone else for that matter, just as mine was.

_What am I doing?.... if she could see me now, she would give me hell for not following orders..._

“Honestly Levi,” Erwin shook his head as he made to move away, sensing the fight had gone from me, “I knew you would become attached the moment I saw the way you looked at her that day on the training grounds, but I never thought you would lose your wits over her.”

“Yeah well, it seems we’re all learning something new today.” I drawled as dread took over my heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos, Comments, Subscriptions and Bookmarks!  
> as always I love hearing from people, drop a comment and let me know what you think of the story, any constructive criticism is always welcomed as I want to make my writing better :D


	17. All the Gods, All the Heavens and All the Hells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aurora finds herself in the last place she wanted to be.

AURORA 

_Heat. That’s what I felt. A heat burning across my face and hands like I had been lying out in the sun too long in one of those abrasive summers I had endured when living in the confines of Shiganshina, but this place was not my home, far from it._

**_Why do I keep on returning here?_ **

_Inhaling deeply, the stale air did nothing to remove the smell of disintegrating Titan flesh that had seared my nostrils from Bertolt's Titan and opening my eyes, I lay there on the fine grains of sand and stared up at the luminous paths of light that cut through the endless black night that was usually alight with stars._

**_Why have the stars disappeared?_ **

_“Aurora...” that familiar childlike whisper floated around me as my hair fanned out around my head, and sighing in frustration for the next horror to come, I pushed myself to my feet and squared my shoulders as I faced the crowd red hair and mismatched grey and green eyes._

_“This is getting very old, very fast,” I muttered to myself as I meet the eyes of the warrior woman I had spoken to before, trying my best to appear in control when the reality was, I was at my tethers end with all of it. I had watched my unit die, been betrayed by a man I had saved and had nearly died more times than I would like to count, I was not in the mood or had the strength to deal with whatever the hell this all was._

_“I imagine it is.” a deep voice agreed from behind me and twisting around, I was greeted to the sight of my Grandfather, fresh-faced and bright red hair, cutting an imposing figure as he towered over me._

**_I wonder if he was always so frightening or if life simply made him that way._ **

_“Grandfather.” I acknowledge as I fought the urge to step back in a submissive gesture, “Is it your turn again to break what little of my spirit remains because I have to say, I’ve not got the patience for it.”_

_“No little one, not this time” Grandfather smiled softly as he closed the space between us and tucked my loose hair behind my ear, “I just wish to speak with you.”_

**_Is he joking?! Now he wishes to speak?! All it took was his gruesome death and a knife in my heart, and he’s ready to talk?!_ **

_****“Is that all?” I snarled as I batted his hand away and shoved him away from me, “No, you must fulfil your destiny? No, kill the girl or a knife in my heart this time? Your going soft in your death Grandfather,”_

_Sadness clouded his youthful features that looked so like Rian’s that I instantly felt a surge of guilt for pushing him away, but that guilt was not mine to carry and he was not Rian, he was my Grandfather, he had no right to touch me in death when he had never laid a hand on me in kindness during his life, and of course there was the matter of him stabbing me the last time I had spoken to him in this otherworldly plain._

_**What does he want from me?!** _

_Stepping forward again, my Grandfather tried to reach out for me and stepping back I held a hand out to him in warning as my eyes hardened making him halt his advance and smiling sadly, tears filled his eyes that were identical to my own, taking me by surprise._

_“I deserve your distrust,” Grandfather lamented as he withdrew his hand,“I understand better than you know, I did to you what my own father did to me, and in turn I caused you to hate me.”_

_Hate. That was a powerful word, but it had no place here. I hated the Titans, I hated them with every part of my soul, it was so consuming at times that I could barely breathe with how strong the emotion was whenever I saw one but that wasn’t what I felt about my Grandfather, not truly._

_“I don’t hate you; I never did.” I admitted as my eyes began to sting an_ d _turning away, I gazed over the listening faces of all those who came before me as they judged my words, “There were times I hated what you did, but I never hated **you**. I was a child, I didn’t understand, all I wanted was to make you proud, and no matter how hard I tried it was never enough for you.” _

**_Even now I still don’t understand, I just know there had to be a reason, and I was reasonably sure that the reason was to do with what Eren can_ _do, and even then I had to work that out on my own._**

_Sighing deeply, my Grandfather turned to face the crowd, and following his line of sight, I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat as I met the sad eyes of my father_ _as he inclined his for me before returning back to his motionless staring._

“ _When you were born, your mother was already dead, she had been murdered alongside your father, and you and your brother still lay alive in her womb.” My Grandfather shared, and my head snapped around to stare at him in horror as I realised what he had just said only to recoil further from him as he withdrew the very blade he had used to stab me and held it out for me to see, “So, I took this blade, and I used it to cut you both free.”_

**_We....he... they... murdered a pregnant woman... they had meant to kill us all...._ **

_“Why are you telling me this?” I demanded as I felt bile rise in my throat, my Grandfather had mutilated my mother’s dead body so that Rian and I could live when we should have died. I had known we were born the same day that my parents had died, but I had assumed that we had been spared because we were new-borns, that my parents’ killers had shown mercy or were unable to take the lives of babes, how naïve I was._

**_Even after everything I have seen and done, I’m still looking at the world through the eyes of a child._ **

_My eyes found their way back to my father of their own accord, and one look at his hard eyes had tears falling from my own, no wonder my Grandfather did what he did, he knew that the bastards who wanted us dead would stop at nothing, that as long as we drew breath, we would never be safe, a fact proven the night of Eren’s trial._

_**We were fair game the night of Eren's trial, we were adults, but what kind of evil fuck kills a woman carrying a child!** _

_“I pulled Rian from your mother first, all squall and vigour.” Grandfather continued on as if he hadn’t heard me and turned back to gaze down to me with a face full of awe, “Life had blessed him, but you little one, you had to fight for the right to breath. You fought your way to life and took your first breath, filling the room with an almighty scream just as the sun was rising and I knew then that you were meant for something more.”_

_Bottom lip trembling, I was unable to stop him as he closed the distance between us and gently took my face with his large hands and brought his forehead to rest on mine as the sobs began to break free from my chest. How long had I been waiting for him to hold me like this, to simply show his love? And yet only in death had he been free to do so._

**_I have been robbed, robbed of a loving home, of loving parents, of a loving grandfather, all for what?_ **

_“I was proud from the moment you both drew your first breath, and every day after because you both had looked death in the eye, mere infants, and told him to go fuck himself.” Grandfather said with reverence as his thumb brushed away my tears, “From the day I held you both in my arms, I only ever wanted to keep you safe, but all I did was cause you pain. I have failed you; I have failed you both.”_

**_That isn’t true, he gave us what we needed to live._ **

“ _If you hadn’t done what you did,” I defended as I shook my head, "We would have been dead a thousand times over because I wouldn’t have been strong enough to survive. Without you, I would have lost everything to the Titans or to hunger, without you I wouldn’t have survived the training corps, without you I wouldn't have met some of the greatest people I have ever known, without you I wouldn’t have met **him**.” _

_“Your Captain.” Grandfather smiled, and my lips twitched at the sides as I thought about Levi and my heartbeat painfully at the aching need to see him again._

_“Yes, **my** captain.” I sniffled as my tears came to a stop, “You would have liked him, Grandfather, I only wish you could have met him and seen how amazing he is.” _

_Smiling at the memory of my lover, I looked up into my Grandfather’s eyes and felt my smile falter as darkness settled in his expression and gripping my face a little tighter, my Grandfather searched every inch of my face as if to commit to memory the image of me smiling._

**_Something is very wrong..._ **

_“Grandfather, what is it?” I whispered when suddenly loud drumming began to beat through the air and pulling out of my Grandfather’s grasp, my eyes widened to the sight of my ancestors all holding spears of varying designs, banging them into the earth in a warlike display._

_**Something is very very wrong...** _

_“I don’t have much time.” Grandfather grieved, and I turned back to stare at him with fearful eyes as the resounding drumming rang straight to my soul, almost as if it was calling to me._

_“Time for what?!” I panicked and reaching forward, my Grandfather grabbed my face again though, where before it had been in a gesture of love, this time, it was a gesture of desperation._

_“I wish there was another way little one, but all the will of mankind can’t stop what is to come.” Grandfather warned and fear slithered down my back as the childlike whispers began to rise above the drumming and pulling back from him once again, I turned towards the beacon of light to see the Blonde child appear and beckon me to her, “I had wished to spare you by forcing you to accept your destiny, to make you strong enough to endure the coming storm, but one way or another, she will get her warrior.”_

**_How?! How will she get her warrior?!_ **

“ _You’re scaring me.” I trembled as the feeling of dread began to take over, what did he mean by the coming storm, what did he mean by what is to come?!_

_“Listen to me!” Grandfather pleaded as he grasped my shoulders painfully, his fingers digging into my skin with bruising force, “I’m going to tell you what my father told me. Child, we have been charged with a mighty burden, a burden that we must bear so that our people can be free and bear it we shall because we are not mere men. All the gods, all the heavens and all the hells are within us, and before the sun sets on our name, the world will know it too.”_

**_We are not mere men..... What the hell are we?!_ **

_“I’m so sorry.” Grandfather lamented as he pressed his lips to my forehead before stepping away and releasing me from his grip, and my fear began to claw its way up my throat at the heartbroken expression on his face._

_“What do you mean?” I demanded in a shaky voice, but my Grandfather did not answer; instead, he turned and walked away from me towards the lines of spears as they rose and fell in unison._

**_Oh, I don't fucking think so, your not walking away from me!_ **

_****“Grandfather?!” I called out to him, but he did not stop, and soon he was fading away into the crowd of our bloodline._

_“WHAT DO YOU MEAN!?” I screamed as I made to go after him, but suddenly the ground disappeared out from beneath me, and I was hurtled towards the blinding light._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos guys!   
> as always feel free to drop a comment, I love hearing what people are thinking about the series, and I love seeing people's theories about what is to come :D


	18. Same Fight, Different Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rian, Aurora, Armin and Mikasa awake to the aftermath of the battle for Eren.

RIAN

Light filtered through my closed eyelids bringing me back to consciousness and opening them to the waning sunlight, I was greeted to the sight of my sister barely a meter away, for all appearances sleeping. Groaning, I painfully rolled myself up into a sitting position and shuffled over to where Aurora lay and sighed sadly as I saw immediately to her right, Mikasa's sleeping form except she wasn't sleeping and neither was Aurora, they had been knocked unconscious from the blast just as I had been. 

_We never stood a chance, did we?_

Reaching down, I brushed my fingertips gently across Aurora's hair, careful so not to touch her skin which had changed from its usual pale cream to a slightly pink colour that was darker down the one side of her face that had been the most exposed to the heat.

_Will a day ever go by when I will not see my sister hurt in one form or another?_

"Grand...father" Aurora groaned suddenly as her eyelids fluttered and a deep V formed on her burnt brow, revealing the dark nature of her dreams.

_Even in death, that man still has a hold on us..._

"You're alright" I soothed as I ran my hand over her hair and instantly, she stilled, "Your fine, I'm here."

Sighing deeply, Aurora's head lolled to the side towards Mikasa and reaching out subconsciously in her sleep, wrapped her fingers around the younger girl's arm as if seeking to reassure herself that she was still there. Rocking back to rest on my heels, I took in both of their pinkish faces before looking around to see who else had survived and exhaled in relief as I spotted Nifa, completely unharmed, fretting over an injured Hange and Moblit as they too lay unconscious.

_At least one of us made it out unscathed, which is more than I can say for the rest of us._

Footsteps shuffled towards me, breaking me from my self-pity and looking up, I met Armin's red-rimmed eyes as he gazed down at me with utter despair and that's when it hit me that we were missing the most essential piece of our broken family.

_Eren._

"They took him, didn't they?" I asked knowing the answer before I heard it, and nodding his head, Armin dropped down to his knees beside me with fresh tears forming in the corners of his eyes when another pair of footsteps approached from behind as my heart thudded painfully in grief and rage.

_They took Eren....they took my brother...they took our home...they took our family... our friends...what more do they want from us?!_

"Oh man what a mess," A deep voice murmured before a shadow blocked out my light and barely turning my head I watch Hannes kneel above Aurora's and Mikasa's head as he assessed their faces, "Count your lucky stars for Aurora's quick-thinking Armin, rest of them got blasted by steam and debris, she spared you that at least. How badly are they hurt?"

"There aren't any new wounds to speak of," Armin muttered, his eyes fixed on Aurora's face, "I think it's just concussions."

_We're lucky that's all it is, if they really wanted to, Reiner and Bertolt could have ended us like a boot to an Ant...so why didn't they?_

"Could be worse." Hannes considered before he turned to look at Armin and me with a sad smile, "Boys, I've got food if you're hungry, either of you eaten?"

Shaking his head, Armin pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, the image of a child in pain and grunting, Hannes pushed himself back to his feet just as Aurora began to stir awake.

"Did someone say food?" Aurora groaned, making a smile pull at my lips despite our hopeless situation as she slowly sat up from her slumber and clutched her stomach before turning towards us with groggy yet hopeful eyes. 

_When was the last time she had eaten?_

"Hey, glad to see you awake," Hannes smiled down at her, "You good?"

"Yeah, I feel okay" Aurora nodded as she turned her hopeful eyes up towards Hannes, "just starving."

"I'll be right back with something to eat," Hannes reassured as he patted Aurora on the head before moving off in search of what he promised and heaving a deep sigh, Aurora looked down beside her to Mikasa and with tear-filled eyes began to stroke her hair. 

_She hates seeing any of them hurt._

It was easy to overlook the deep bond that lay between the two women, after all, Aurora channelled most of her mothering toward Eren and Armin, the boys more often than not finding themselves in danger either through sheer dumb luck or an inability to defend themselves and thus needing help in some form or another but with Mikasa, it was different. Aurora trusted her to hold her own, trusted her to have her back, to be a sister in arms for lack of better wording. Together they were a formidable pair, something Annie learned the hard way in Stohess, however as she lay there, burnt and defeated, Mikasa looked like the 15-year-old girl she was which was not lost on Aurora, and staring down at the younger girl it was clear to see for anyone willing to look just how much Aurora loved Mikasa.

_She trusts her the most out of the kids, but just like Armin and Eren, there is nothing my sister wouldn't do for that girl, a fact she has proven more than once._

***********

_The sun had barely been up for a few hours, and already the markets were beginning to buzz with the sound of Shiganshina's residents as they went about their daily lives just as we were. It was market day for the Sparhawke and Yaeger households and leaving at first light, Aurora and I with Eren, Armin and our newest addition Mikasa had been here at the markets for some time._

_Perusing the stalls, Aurora bartered here and there for fish and bread while the young girl, Mikasa, clung to her skirts with wide eyes taking in the hustle of the town centre, which no doubt was a drastic change to her life in the mountains, while I had the boys beside me as I looked over a simple beaded necklace at the Jewellery stall with my sister in mind._

**_I have never seen her wear jewellery, but maybe that's because she doesn't have any..._ **

_"Would you like this?" I asked Aurora when she had moved closer and coming over to peer around me, her brows drew together in confusion as she looked down at the delicate chain._

_"What for?" she puzzled as Eren turned towards her and held out his hands for her to give him something to carry, he had become more helpful since Mikasa had begun to live with us and I smiled widely as he struggled to carry the heavy basket before Aurora took it back off him with a knowing look._

**_He's trying to show off, and I don't blame him, Mikasa is the first girl he has interacted with outside of his mother and Aurora._ **

_"It's our 17th birthday soon," I shrugged as I took the basket from Aurora and watched Eren huff slightly with his wounded ego, "I just thought maybe you would like something."_

**_She is going to refuse whatever I offer..._ **

_"I'm okay, I have everything I need right here. You get something for yourself though, I'll tell grandfather I spent everything on food," Aurora smiled wickedly before she swopped down and pulled Mikasa and Eren close to her, tickling their stomach's "He won't know as long as these two don't rat me out."_

**_Yeah right, Eren can't hold his own water around our Grandfather..._ **

_"Stop it!" Eren groused as Aurora kissed the side of his face, making him turn a bright shade of red as Mikasa quietly giggled at the over-affectionate display._

_"Ooooh! Getting too old for kisses, are we?" Aurora teased making me smile as she grasped Eren tighter and proceeded to plant more kisses over his tomato-red face._

_"Aurora! Knock it off!" Eren shouted as he wriggled free from Aurora's grip and stomped off towards the baker's stall with Mikasa and Aurora following closely behind with their girlish laughter. Smiling, I followed behind at a leisurely pace content with being the pack mule when suddenly I felt a tugging at the side of my tunic and looking down, I was greeted with Armin's large blue eye's staring up at me._

**_The same eyes as me, the same as my mother..._ **

_"Rian?" Armin asked politely as he pointed to the top shelf of the veg stall,_ _Do you mind reaching up and getting me the- woah!"_

 _Lifting the boy up by the back of his shirt, I pushed him up onto my shoulders and smiled as the sound of his laughter filled my ears. Once he was secure, I leaned forward, with my free hand gripping his chubby legs, and allowed him to grab a handful of carrots before paying for them just_ _as a commotion began to rise._

" _HEY! GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER! I'LL KILL YOU!" A familiar voice threatened and spinning around, I searched the crowd frantically looking for the source._

_"EREN?!" I called out in panic before spotting Aurora's red hair in the centre of a gathering crowd as she squared up to a large greasy man and pulling Armin down from my shoulder's, I pushed my way through to see that the large man had a tight hold of Mikasa's arm and he was far from alone._

**_Oh fuck._ **

_"Let go now," Aurora warned, entirely unfazed by the large man in front of her or his three thugs on his rear and edging forward slowly so I could get in position if things turned south, I watched Aurora tilt her head slightly in recognition of me._

**_She knows I'm here and I'm ready._ **

_"No can do, but I have a better suggestion." the greasy man sneered, and I saw red as he leaned forward to leer at my sister, "How about you get on your knees and use that pretty mouth to -" the greasy man broke off in a groan as Aurora brought her knee up hard into his crotch, putting an end to his chance of future children and making the crowd wince._

**_We all felt that one._ **

_"Those knees?" Aurora smiled as she pulled Mikasa from the large man's grip and shoved her behind towards Eren. One of the large man's friends made to move forward and stepping out of the crowd, I shook my finger at him with a dark glare, letting him know that Aurora wasn't alone._

**_Not today, pal._ **

_"You little whore!" the greasy man bellowed as he fumbled at his side before pulling out a rusty old knife and lunging at Aurora but before I could even move, Aurora had grabbed the man's wrist and wrench his arm up with a sickly popping noise before using her leverage to flip him onto his back, smashing him into a stall where Eren immediately dove on him and began thumping him in the head._

**_Oh, for wall's sake!_ **

" _HEEEEEY!" the stall owner screamed as he waved his hands in the and following his line of sight, I spotted Hannes and his garrison buddies deep in their cups sitting watching the fight unfold, "THERE IS A SITUATION OVER HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED! GET OFF YOUR DRUNK ASSES!?"_

_Rushing forward I grabbed Eren and pulled him off the openly weeping man who was clutching his oddly bent shoulder and shoved him back towards the crowd as Aurora began to back up with one arm out protectively in front of Mikasa as the other thugs started to approach her._

**_They want Mikasa, just like those men who took her wanted her... to sell her... for sex..._ **

_"I wanna help!" Eren complained as I gave a particularly forceful push back, "What are you doing?!"_

_"Go and get my Grandfather" I ordered as I gave Eren one final shove towards Armin before moving back towards Aurora who was planting her feet ready to fight._

_"But-"_

_"That wasn't a suggestion! Go!" I boomed before I heard a grunt and spun on my heel to see one of the thugs try to strike Aurora only for her knock his arm off course and smash her fist into the side of his ribs winding him._

_"You bitch" the thug groaned before he righted himself and tried to lunge forward except this time, I was close enough to grab him and spinning him towards me, the thug's eyes widened as he took in my much larger build and strength._

**_Yeah, I'm no 5ft woman, you child-snatching bastard!_ **

_"Did you just call my sister a bitch?" I demanded, but before the bastard could answer, I swung my head down in a hard headbutt and gritted my teeth as the thug went limp in my arms because nobody, whether giving or receiving, wins in a headbutt._

**_Ow._ **

_"No! It's okay, they can handle it!" I heard Armin's panicked voice sound over the cheers and hisses of the crowd and out of the corner of my eye I spotted Eren race over to Aurora's side and kick her new attacker in the shin, making the fucker hop as the last of the thugs raced towards me and reacting without thinking I swung around with my leg high and knicked my assailant straight off his feet, sending him crashing to the floor._

" _Woah nice one!" Hannes' garrison buddy cheered as he and Hannes, now at the front of the crowd, clapped while watching the entire thing unfold without once lifting a fucking finger, "Don't let the lady do all the work!- HEY! What was that for?!?" The garrison guard screeched as the stall owner threw a piece of his smashed up stall at him while I waited readily as my attacker struggled back onto his feet._

_"Don't cheer the little bastards on! Goddamn freeloaders!" the stall owner cursed, causing a right upset with Hannes' friends._

_"Did you just call us freeloaders?!" the garrison guard stormed as he swayed on his feet, too drunk to actually hold his own._

**_No wonder child snatchers think they can operate this far in town with soldiers like him protecting us!_ **

_"Hey if the shoe fits, stick it up your asses!" the stall owner insulted and in a fit of temper the garrison guard made to take a swing at the stall owner, but Hannes got in the way._

_"Hey hey," Hannes attempted to reason, "He's got a point ya kn-" Hannes broke off in a grunt as the stall owner connected his fist straight on the end of his nose, but rather flaking like I thought he would, Hannes took the hit like a champ, and after wiping the blood off his face, he brought his hands up in a boxer's stance with a broad grin on his face._

_"That's some right arm for a chump who runs a stall!" Hannes cheered as he tangled with the stall owner and all hell seemed to break loose as Mikasa and Eren dove on top of the man Aurora had flipped into the stall and began pummelling his head again to stop him from getting up, the sight of which would have been quite amusing if his buddy wasn't attempting to punch my sister in the face._

_Throwing his hand forward, the whole market watched in awe as Aurora caught his hand, twisted it around and spun herself so that her legs came up onto his shoulder's before she grabbed his hair and forced his head back._

**_I've never seen her do that before..._ **

_"Who. Tries. To. Steal. A. child. From. A. Fucking. Market!?" Aurora snarled out each word between viscous punches before swinging her body downwards and using her momentum to throw the thug above her and crashing into another stall._

_"Wait, what?" Hannes panted dumbfounded as he choked the stall owner in a headlock, "They tried to take one of the kids?"_

**_Really?!_ **

_"Try to keep up Hannes." I rebuked as I jabbed my attacker twice in the jaw before uppercutting into his stomach and forcing the breath from his chest in a pained wheeze as I swung my leg out and knocked him on his ass again, just as a loud whistle began to blow and the head garrison officer barrelled onto the scene with a face like thunder._

_"Stop it right now, what the hell is wrong with you! Act like adults!" the garrison officer commanded and seeing my opening, I grabbed hold of Eren who was still trying to fight thinking Aurora would do the same for Mikasa, "That's enough!"_

_"Screw this, we're out of here!" The man I had been tangling with panicked as he ran off down the road and too my dismay, Aurora's bright red hair flashed by me as she took off after him with Mikasa on her heels, following her example, when suddenly they were tackled by two garrison officers who pinned the two girls down._

**_No... they will arrest them... Aurora will be sent beyond the wall..._ **

_"No, you don't!" one officer snarled as Aurora slammed her elbow back into his face and crying out in pain, he grabbed a fist full of my sister's hair and rived her up to her feet by it and seeing red once again, I made my move to go and help Aurora when an all too familiar voice boomed through the crowd._

_"Unhand my granddaughter!" my Grandfather stormed as he charged through the crowd with Grisha, Uncle Alert and little Armin at his back._

*********

**_Yes, Aurora would do anything for Mikasa, she would do anything for all of us..._ **

"He's gone, isn't he?" Aurora muttered softly as she continued to stroke Mikasa's hair without turning, pulling me from the far too distant memory, "They took him just like Reiner said he would. They took him, and we couldn't do anything about it. What is the point of being what we are if we can't protect our family?"

Words seemed to stick in my throat as I struggled to find the right answer when suddenly Mikasa shot up into a sitting position frightening the hell out of all three of us before she began to panic and search around the wall with wild eyes.

_She isn't going to take this well at all._

"Woah easy" Aurora calmed as she held her hands out in a peaceful gesture and sighing deeply, I ran a hand over my face only to wince as the burns I too had on my face and hands made themselves known.

"Where is Eren?! Where did he go?!" Mikasa demanded as she grabbed the front of Aurora's shirt and shook her for answers making my sister wince in pain, and feeling my temper spike at the way Mikasa was manhandling Aurora, I lunged forward and dragged Mikasa towards me before pulling her arms back from Aurora's shirt.

"Pack it in now!" I ordered as the girl began to put up a fight and having had enough with the dramatics, I twisted Mikasa around and locked my arms around her body, effectively ending her battle with herself.

"Let me go!" Mikasa snarled, but I did no such thing; instead, I chose to tighten my hold on her to let her know how deadly serious I was.

"Calm down, and I will." I reasoned as Mikasa struggled on fruitlessly and after another minute of pointless aggression, she did just that and let her body fall limp into me, and I released my hold on her.

"Where is he?" Mikasa sniffled as Aurora and Armin came to sit at her feet, their faces identical masks of sorrow, so much so that for the first time I was shocked by how much they did actually look alike despite their distinct colouring differences and I couldn't help but picture Aurora with light blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

 _I wonder if my mother looked like her.._.

"Eren and Ymir were taken, Reiner and Bertolt abducted them, Eren fought, but the armoured titan was too...." Armin paused for a moment, almost as if he didn't want to say what he was going to next, "That was about five hours ago."

_What?! That's too long! They could be anywhere by now!_

"Somebody went after them?!" Mikasa agonised, but from the despondent look in her eyes she knew the answer as well as I did, "Tell me somebody went after them?!"

"I'm sorry." Armin lamented only to flinch back when Mikasa dove for him and I had to wrap my arms around her again to stop her from doing something she would most likely regret later.

"WHY NOT!" Mikasa demanded as she thrashed around, and I grunted in pain as her elbow connected with my chest and knocked the breath right out of me.

_Right, that's it! I'm putting an end to this now!_

"ENOUGH!" I stormed making Mikasa visibly flinch, this was the first time I have ever shouted at her, ever, "You were injured, Aurora was injured, Hange and the others are injured! The horses are on the other side of the wall with no way to get them over, our only option is to wait for the lifts and reinforcements to get here! So knock this shit off because we are not the enemy!" 

The fight left her instantly, and I felt a touch of guilt as I watched her revert into herself and bring her knees up to her chest much like Armin had. All she wanted was Eren back, we all did but fighting a war with ourselves wasn't going to get him back, it was only going to tear more strips from us till there was nothing left and lets be honest, what remained was next to nothing at best.

"Are you in any pain?" Aurora asked softly as she reached forward and gently took hold of Mikasa's arm, making the girl look at her with wide tearful eyes.

"No..." Mikasa answered too quickly, and after meeting Aurora's knowing gaze, she sighed deeply before the words came tumbling from her mouth, "I mean I hit my head, but otherwise I'm okay... it's just... it's not the first time I've been down this road. When Annie took him, I didn't waste a minute, not one. That's how captain Levi and I were able to get him back, but its already been five hours."

Upon hearing the Captain's name, Aurora sat back on her haunches and looked out over the endless fields of grass with sadness clouding her face and leaning forward, Mikasa rested her head against Aurora's shoulder as fat teardrops fell from her dark eyes.

"Why does he do it? ... why does he always leave and end up someplace were not?" Mikasa asked barely above a whisper and shaking my head, I scoffed lightly because she was right, Eren did his own thing and damn the consequences, though this time wasn't exactly his own fault. No this time he was taken, and there wasn't a damn thing we could do to stop it.

_We failed to protect him..._

"That does seem to happen a lot, ever since you guys were kids, he always ran off on his own, leaving us worried sick." Aurora smiled sadly, and I felt my eyes begin to sting, "Who knows, maybe that's the sort of person he is meant to be."

"I don't want much, just to be near him." Mikasa mourned, and my heart broke as I watched her bury her face inside the red scarf she always wore, "That's all."

_How could I have been so blind....She's in love with him._

The revelation hit my chest hard as I watched Mikasa yearn for Eren and turning to Aurora, I saw she too was watching Mikasa with a knowing look, and that was when my resolve began to harden. We would get Eren back even if it was the last thing that I do, not just because he was my brother and that I loved him but because Mikasa was in love with him and she needed him. 

_If it's within my power, I will return my brother to you Mikasa, I swear it.._.

"Good your awake, you must be starving." Hannes announced as he returned and looking down at Mikasa and Aurora he dropped ration bars into their hands before turning to Armin and me, "Here, heads up boys. Sorry its only field rations but better than nothing, I guess."

Taking a seat in the middle of us, Hannes opened his ration bar and began to take hearty bites before twisting his face in mild distaste as he looked over all of us with sharp eyes. 

_Sober Hannes doesn't miss much, does he?_

"Hmm not bad, not good either, nothing new there," Hannes shrugged, "Speaking of which this feels familiar. You four have been running damage control for that little hot head since he could walk if I recall correctly. Doesn't seem very fair but what do I know? Different time different place, same problem. Not exactly what I would call a healthy relationship, am I wrong?"

_No, he's not, but it's all we know._

"Yes and no," Armin chuckled as he toyed with the foil on his bar, "the neighbourhood bullies weren't quite so tall, but I suppose there are similarities."

_I'd give anything to go back to child snatchers, and neighbourhood bullies being our only problem..._

"Yeah, that's our Eren," Hannes smiled broadly as he took the last bite of his rations, "Can't hold his own for shit but always looking for a fight. Five guys take him on, and he doesn't think twice about jumping into the fray like an idiot, by the time you lot get there or the MPs show up he's beaten all to hell, but you know, I may never have had the privilege of having seen Eren win, but I never saw the little bastard back down either."

My eyes snapped to Hannes as I listened intently to his words because he was right, I had never seen Eren back down from a fight, he didn't have it in him, in fact, it was almost supernatural the ability he had to get back up and keep on going, regardless of injury or consequence.

_Maybe that will keep him going now.... keep him going till we can get to him..._

"Kids got fire, to tell you the truth his persistence scares the shit out of me sometimes," Hannes admitted as we all listened to him with bated breaths, "He gets knocked on his ass, he gets right back up again. It's in his blood. So answer me this, do you really think he would let himself get snatched away without fighting tooth and nail?"

_The only way he wouldn't fight was if he was dead and even then that didn't stop him when that Titan swallowed him whole..._

"Not a chance," Hannes answered for us and I could see from the looks on Aurora's, Mikasa's and Armin's faces that they were hanging on his every word just like I was, "Whatever strength he's got left he is gonna use it. What are two guys in comparison to a whole gang? If you can count on anything it is that Eren is going to give them hell at least till one of us shows up to help, that's how it's always been right?"

_Now and always. We wont give up! We can get Eren back!_

"Yes sir, those good old days were something else, course if you ask Eren they were an illusion, that we were just kidding ourselves but I was never happier than back then. Call me sentimental, but I'd give anything to have it back to the way things were, and I'm willing to fight for it." Hannes reminisced before a hard edge, took over his eyes and facing us all, he called to the need in each of us to see Eren once again, "He needs us! What do you say we stick to what we know, it ain't the good old days unless all of you are together?" 

_Together then._

"I think I like you much more when your sober Hannes." Aurora smiled before sinking her teeth into her ration bar and ripping it apart with her teeth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks, I am so pleased people are still reading my fic!  
> As always I love hearing from people and what they think of the story so far!  
> Stay safe out there!


	19. Can't See The Forest For The Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren awakens to find he has more questions than answers

EREN 

_The Screaming of my mother rang through my nightmares as image after image flashed behind my eyelids of things long ancient past and things that had yet come to pass._

_A needle filled with a silvery liquid. A bronze key hanging from a chain. My father on his knees crying. Aurora lying unconscious on the warehouse floor with Mikasa and Armin tucked into her sides. A woman with fiery red hair and mismatched grey and green eyes dressed in old-world armour pointing her spear at a king on a throne, his purple eyes glowing with power and cruelty as his men surrounded her. My mother, face fresh with youth, greeting a little girl and boy with varying shades of red hair with a sweet smile on her face as they shyly looked up at her. Aurora on her knees in a courtyard, her long wild hair and nightdress clinging to her flesh from the sweat pouring from her feverish skin as she raised her hand to trace the night sky, eyes bright with awe. Mikasa dressed in a long pale blue dress with flowers in her hair as she pinned a white veil to Aurora's chin-length curls, a bittersweet_ _smile on her face. The long-abandoned walls of Shiganshina at last insight over the crest of a hill as the morning sun began to rise._

_On and on the images flashed as voices began to rise, demanding to be heard, but one voice stood out above the rest as he made his final words known once again before he disappeared from my life forever._

_"Mikasa's life, Aurora's life, Armin's life, everyone's life hinges on your being able to control this power!" Grisha Yeager trembled, but soon another voice drown his out and the nightmare became too much to bear._

_"Eren please!" Aurora's voice broke as the image of her standing with her short red hair dancing in the wind came to mind, and begging like she had never begged before, tears ran down her dirt-streaked face as she held her hands out pleading, "Don't make me do this..."_

*********

My eyes flew open, my breath tearing from my chest in ragged pants as the last of the nightmare began to fade into nothingness but the reality was I was simply exchanging one nightmare for another, at least with a dream I could pretend it wasn't real, not like this. 

_Reiner...Bertolt...I can't..._

Adjusting quickly to my surroundings, I took in the endless canopy of leaves up above and the hard texture or wood beneath me before sitting up and looking around at the countless trees, clapping eyes on the last person I ever wanted to see.

"Welcome back." Reiner greeted with a smile as he stood above me, picture of perfect health, on a nearby branch with Bertolt sat behind him on an even higher branch, his face hidden in his hands and I felt my blood begin to boil at the sight of the treacherous scum with heat rushing through my entire body ending at my elbows.

_Wait... my elbows?_

Daring to look down, my anger quickly turned to horror as steamed billowed out from under my Scout raincoat and pushing my arms out, I cried in shock as the stumps of what should have been my arms came into view. 

_No no no no..._

"What the hell!" I screamed as I waved around my mutilated limbs, "My arms!" 

_What did they do to me?!_

"Eren!" A voice to my right snapped and turning in shock my eyes widened as Ymir, looking far better than when I last saw her, waved her missing arm at me with a smirk, "I'm not in better shape here, seems were both having a shit day."

_What the hell is she doing here?! Did they take her too?! Where are my arms?!_

"Ymir, what did they do to me." I mourned as I looked down at my steaming limbs, but before Ymir could answer me, Reiner took the opportunity to move his damn snake lips.

"Sorry that was my fault, you can pin your injuries on me. Guess I was in kind of a hurry back there, bite your nape without thinking about your arms." Reiner apologised with a embarrassed smile as he ran his hand down the back of his neck and my heart plummeted as the memories of the battle resurfaced. 

_Oh god... the blast… Mikasa... Aurora...Armin... Rian... they were all caught in it...._

"Is that right." I muttered as the echo's of Aurora's Screams rang through my mind and the sight of Mikasa flying through the air flashed behind my eyes making my rage bubble over, "So, we lost."

We had lost to Reiner and Bertolt, all we had done had been for nothing so what was the point? Why should I sit here and look at their shit stain faces for a second longer when I had the power to fuck whatever they had planned and deny them their prize, so raising my stump to my lips I psyched myself to do just that.

_Like hell am I gonna sit here like the victim! As long as my heart is beating, I will fight!_

"Eren! Don't do it!" Bertolt shouted as he finally got his head out his hands and smiling vindictively I opened my lips to bear my teeth, ready to take the plunge when suddenly a hand grasped my stump and rove it away from my snarling teeth.

"Easy there, hot head" Ymir warned as she released her grip on my arm as I glared at her before gesturing around us, "Take a look at where we are. This is the giant forest within wall Maria, wall Rose is leagues away, which means we're deep in the heart of titan country." Ymir's continued on as she gestured to the Titans that I had failed to notice below us, too focused on Reiner and Bertolt to recognise the danger that the Titan lying below on his back and the Titan behind us hiding behind the tree presented, "I think our buddy down there is an abnormal, it looks like he's just kicking back, but those eyes haven't left us once. Lots of smaller ones down there too, that's plenty bad enough, another big one over there behind the tree, fixated but keeping his distance, strikes me as the shy type."

_We're surrounded by Titans and not just the man-eating kind…_

"And then there are these chumps" Ymir sneered as she pointed an accusing finger towards Reiner and Bertolt, "Dirty bastards, they had the foresight to suit up in full gear, of course, Reiner took yours. Point is changing into a Titan isn't going to accomplish much right now, one, they can do the same thing if they want, two, they can zip into the trees if not, three, were surrounded on all sides. Power or no power, this would be tricky as hell even at the best of times, you read me. There is nothing to gain by being a dumbass."

Ice flooded my veins, putting out the fire within, albeit temporarily, because what Ymir said made some sense and staring down at the Titans below doubt gnawed away at my plan.

"She was right, you can't turn into Titans right now anyway, don't count on that ability coming to the rescue. The body can only take so much and it's a little preoccupied with healing at the moment." Reiner tried to reason, but he had another thing coming if he thought I would believe a single word that fell out of his mouth, he was after-all a liar and a fucking traitor.

"Nice try, you expect me to sit here and take the word of a liar?" I spat, my eyes burning into his golden orbs as they flashed with pain.

_Truth hurts, doesn't it?_

"Yeah well, we're sort of at a disadvantage here, it's not like we know the ins and outs of how this works. Unlike you guys, I'm basically clueless about the whole thing." Ymir shrugged as steam continued to rise from her severed limbs before she turned her sharp gaze to our blonde kidnapper on the branch above, "Hey Reiner, you said you would start talking as soon as Eren was up. Don't you think its time somebody started explaining what it is exactly you plan on doing with us?"

 _Chance would be a fine thing, we can't believe a single word they say, they have the power here and are under no obligation to tell the truth_ …

"We're taking you to our home town, of course, I realise that neither of you is just going to do as I ask, like Ymir was saying though this place is crawling with Titans. We can beat the living shit out of each other if that's what you want, but I wouldn't recommend it." Reiner quipped as his stance took on that of a man who meant business, "Our friends down below are hungry and not prone to discriminate, whether you try to cut and run or stick around, believe me when I say our options are limited. We wait for nightfall."

_Nightfall? But that doesn't make sense strategically…_

"So why didn't you stay in Titan form and run all the way home, what's the point of stopping here in the first place?" Ymir questioned before a sly smile pulled at her lips, "You get winded and had to take a break?"

_Is he worn out?_

"Why don't you use your imagination." Reiner snarked as he crosses his arms over his chest, pissing me off, and fighting through the haze of my anger, I mulled over every possible route open to me.

_Which isn't a lot…_

Suppose I wait for an opening, if I assumed Titan form running away wouldn't be that much of a challenge, the question is, _can_ I assume Titan form in this condition? Reiner doesn't seem to think so, and it's not like he and Bertolt would risk stopping here without a good reason. What if Reiner wasn't bullshitting me, what if I couldn't transform to full strength, does that mean the other Titans would be able to eat me?

_Not the escape I was hoping for…_

"So we're gonna just sit on our asses till the sun goes down?" Ymir snapped not liking Reiner's glib attitude any more than I was, the condescending asshole.

"It's a possibility." Reiner drawled, unwilling or unable to elaborate further, which only added to my confusion and agitation. Why give us the chance to recover? I mean I understand the advantage of nightfall in regards to the Titans and their sleeping habits, but it also came at a disadvantage to them, if they waited for nightfall we would only be harder to reign in and they knew it too, that alone left the option of them making a move while were still helpless which didn't bode well for Ymir and me because at this rate neither of us can do anything, all in all were screwed.

Of course, other questions needed answering too, like what happened to everyone else? Where are the scouts? Did they survive and if they did what does that mean for me? If the blast didn't kill me, I don't see it killing all those soldiers up on the wall, and if I know my family like I think I do, then they won't be out of the fight for long, but wait- that would mean they are coming here to save us, god if they show up none of them will-

"Wait a second," Ymir challenges as she levelled Reiner with a calculating state, "Those Titans at the castle had no problem moving around at night, what's stopping these guys?"

_That is a good question… what is stopping them? Why does Reiner think these Titans would be any different?_

"The Titans here can't move after dark, but then again, you know all about that don't you Ymir?" Reiner accused, and my eyes snapped back to Ymir who cast her eyes downward with a deep frown on her face that had my teeth set on edge because that was the face of a woman who had something to hide.

_Why do I feel like I'm the last one to the table without a fucking clue what's going on?!_

How is it that Ymir can transform into a titan anyway? It doesn't seem to have caught her off guard like it did me, what was her angle here? Whose side is she on in all of this? Man, If I thought she was hard to read before she is nigh on impossible now but strangely enough, it wasn't Ymir that was bugging me the most, no, I was more concerned about who wasn't here despite Reiner making it perfectly clear he intended to take at least one of them with him.

_Aurora and Rian…_

Why had Reiner said he wanted Aurora to go with us, in fact he had said he would have taken both her and Rian but time was an issue. Why? They aren't shifters, what could Reiner and Bertolt possibly want with them? Why did they want any of us?

_If I run now, I will never find the answers we need and make no mistake, these bastards know way more than they are revealing…_

Sighing deeply, I fought the urge to scream in frustration as I finally made up my mind for better or worse. For now, I was gonna stay put, I needed information, anything I can get, and to do that I had to keep my eyes and ears open until the moment came that I could make a break for it but before If i wanted to make it till then, I had to keep my emotions in check and give myself a chance to heal. No simple task, given how high the stakes were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the Kudos and Comments! I love hearing from everyone.  
> As always feel free to drop a comment on your thoughts and constructive criticism is always welcome! :D  
> Stay safe guys!


	20. Ride for Ruin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aurora has a crisis of faith in herself and Commander Erwin brings the cavalry

AURORA 

The cool breeze that promised the turning of the season tickled my face as I stared numbly at the Titans that had appeared in the crater below, the only tell-tale sign remaining of the battle against Reiner and Bertolt and as the breeze picked up and pulled my hair along with it, I fought the soul-crushing pain that threatened to swallow me whole.

Nanaba, Gelgar, Miche, Eld, Petra, Oluo, Gunther, Uncle Alert, Carla, Grisha, Grandfather, Mother, Father, on and on the list grew with the number of people I lost and the worst part? I had not a single body to bury, no closure, no place to mourn. I had nothing but the painful memories to remind me that they once existed at all.

Of course, I should be used to it by now, I should know not to get attached, I shouldn't care so much when they inevitably die on me, but I couldn't help it, and I was now paying the price for my weakness. I felt like I was bleeding to death from the pain of their loss, a death by a thousand cuts. If only loving someone could save them then maybe I could bear this pain, but life is doesnt work that way, something I learnt the hard way many years ago.

_So why do I feel like I can't breathe?_

I thought I could withstand any pain as long as it had meaning, that I was strong enough to carry on, that it would be my teacher just like Grandfather had said but there was no meaning in this, in any of it, and the only thing I learnt was hate, a hate so powerful I felt it changing me and the scary thing? I was okay with that, more than okay actually, I _liked_ the darkness it brought out in me, I could hide in its depths in a way that I couldn't in the light, it felt like home. 

_I could hide my weakness..._

Maybe that's what the dreams where about all along, it wasn't destiny calling me but rather my own subconscious speaking because somewhere deep down I knew I wasn't strong enough, that I was ashamed of how weak I was, but it mattered little in the grand scheme of things. My thoughts and feelings were irrelevant, they meant nothing. I had one job, a duty rather, to protect my family and if my weak, pitiful existence was all I had to offer to that duty then I would oblige because I was just one woman, what could I possibly offer to the world in general. That's why we had to get Eren back, not just because he was my family, but because he was the destined one, the one to change the world.

_I won't rest till I have him home, I won't rest till I see him out of their clutches, I swear by whatever god lies above I won't rest till he is safe-_

A gentle hand came to rest on my shoulder, jerking me from my thoughts and turning to peer behind me, I met Rian's bright blue eyes as the gazed into my own with deep concern. How was it he was able to carry on? How was he able to stand now as he was, sister or not, when he surely was feeling the same pain as I?

_It's because he is stronger, he always has been, that's why Grandfather pushed me harder than Rian, he knew it too._

"A penny for your thoughts?" Rian smiled sadly as he came to stand by my side and too stared down at the Titans below while I mulled over whether I should tell him the truth or not before deciding that total candour may not be the kindest path to take, that and I didn't want to admit how pathetic I truly was.

"We have to get Eren back" I answered as I looked out over the skyline, not entirely lying about what had been on my mind, "We have to bring him home."

_I say that like we have a home to go back to..._

"Aurora, look at me" Rian coaxed gently and doing as he asked, I turned back to see him set with determination, "We will bring Eren back. I swear it on my life."

"Don't," I said hastily making Rian frown, "Don't swear on your life, anything but that..."

Pulling me in his arms, Rian crushed me against his chest and wrapping my arms around him I held on as if he was life itself, taking comfort in the arms of my twin knowing that soon we would be heading out after Reiner and Bertolt to face the biggest fight we ever had with no guarantee that we would succeed beyond our own determination and refusal to give in. 

_We can't give in because if we do, it isn't just Humanity that is lost, it is ourselves..._

"Hold out your hand for me." Rian murmured into my hair and leaning back to peer up at him, I drew my eyebrows together in confusion as he looked down at me with a knowing smile.

"Why?" I asked apprehensively, which only made the smile on his face pull wider to reveal his teeth. 

"Always so suspicious." Rian chastised and shaking my head, I held my hand out for him only for my eyes to widen when he gently placed a bronze ring with the emblem of a Hawke embossed into the russet metal, too large for my thin fingers, into the centre of my palm.

"Rian" I breathed in awe as I ran my fingers over the cold metal, "this is-"

"Grandfather's ring, I know." Rian smiled sadly as he placed a hand on my shoulder, "He gave it to me on my 15th birthday, the day he said I had become a 'man' and 'the future of our line'. That was a mistake on his part."

_A mistake?_

"I don't understand", I whispered, a shiver of unease trailing down my spine at the way he was looking at me.

"I've been thinking about Grandfather a lot this past month, about what he taught us, about what he did. I don't think he could have predicted what was coming, I doubt even a soothsayer could, but he knew we would face hardship and would more than likely need to fight to survive. All that training and preparation, all those lessons, it was to give us the means to protect ourselves and Eren because you were right in what you said, we were always meant to be by Eren's side, and when the time came to do just that, you didn't hesitate, you never do." Rian stated as his eyes cast downward in shame, "While I was cowering in fear or overthinking every scenario, you were there standing your ground, fighting for our family, leading soldiers into battle. You are what Grandfather wanted us to be, regardless of whether he believed it or not, and I fall short. The ring belongs to the scion of our house, the one that 'Lights the way'. That isn't me, it's _you_. It's always been you. I know what I am, I know where my strengths lie and where they don't, I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm not as strong as you, and that's okay."

I stood there stunned as my brother finally met my eyes once again, waiting for me to say something, anything. Had I not just been thinking the exact same thing about myself? About how I wasn't strong like I thought I was, that he was the stronger out of us and yet here he stood telling me the exact opposite which was far from the truth. 

Rian was _good_ , something that was in short supply in this cruel world, yes he had his moments of anger and said things he didn't mean but essentially he was good, or rather I should say he was uncorrupted, he had yet to stain his hands with anything other than Titan blood because he was strong enough to override his anger and hate to maintain his humanity. Others may think that weakness, but it wasn't, it was strength, the purest and most virtuous kind.

_Something that I don't have in me._

"Rian you have to know that's not true; you are the strongest of us all." I protested, making Rian's eyes widened slightly, "I'm not saying this to make you feel better or because your my brother. We all owe you our lives. Without you, none of us would have made it this far, I for one would have died in Shiganshina, the kids would have starved if you hadn't thought to join the military, without you these past few years I would have lost myself entirely to madness. You're the best of us, you always have been."

 _Always will be_.

Shaking his head, a small smile pulled at Rian's lips before he leaned down to place them against my forehead as he took the ring from my open hand.

"Humour me." Rian pressed and sighing in defeat, I held out my right hand to him only to laugh when the cold metal slipped down my index finger finding no purchase, after all, it had been my Grandfather's before Rian's, and he had hands like a blacksmith.

_And as heavy._

"Well maybe once were back to civilisation we can have a smith help with the size." Rian laughed as he removed the ring and put in on my thumb, finding a snug fit, "But for now, this will have to do."

Burying my head back in his chest, I stayed there warm and content in the temporary safety my brother provided when suddenly the Wall beneath our feet began to shake ever so slightly and freezing under my hands, Rian pulled back from our embrace to peer to the side before his mouth dropped open in awe.

"Oh wow" Rian breathed, and following his line of sight, my lips too parted in surprise at the sight of the largest cavalry force I had ever seen, riding upon the top of the Wall with the regiment crests of the wings of Freedom, The Garrison roses and that last vigil I ever thought to see here billowing in the wind. 

"Is that MPs?" I asked incredulously as the white unicorn banner flapped in the wind and sparing Rian a quick glance of disbelief we both took off back to Armin and the others who were all staring at fast approaching force in wonder.

"I never thought they would ride on top of the wall" Rian half laughed, his face flushing slightly from the overwhelming sight before us. All three regiments riding as one and all it took was our greatest and only hope to be stolen for it happen.

"Probably the quickest route here." I assumed as the horses came to a stop and my eyes narrowed as Commander Erwin, head of the formation, dismounted and took in the injured soldiers and my blood began to boil the longer I watched his calculating gaze because it was on his order that I was sent to Miche, _alone._

_I wasn't enough! He should have sent more men! We could have fought the Titans off... We could have-_

"For the record, I know you won't, but I'd much prefer it if you stayed behind." Armin attempted to reason and turning from my dark thoughts, I saw him looking to Krist- no _Historia_ , who was glaring back at him with her shoulders set.

_Yeah, that's not going to happen, she's in love with Ymir and will do anything to get her back._

"Good luck with that," I spoke up and shrugged as Armin sent daggers my way, "As long as Ymir is in danger she's going, and you can't stop her."

"Thank you." Historia nodded to me before moving away, probably to find some gear as Armin continued to glare at me. Of course I understood why, Rian had explained the significance Historia held while we had sat waiting for reinforcements. In fact, he had told me everything from the Titan in the Wall to Pastor Nick including the part in him sending the men who tried to kill us but asking Historia to stay when Ymir was in danger, a place she put herself to protect Historia, was like asking the sun to set in the east, it wasn't going to happen.

" _Aurora_ " Armin chastised, and I raised an eyebrow at him unimpressed at the tone of his voice, "that's not-"

"We're all in this together Armin, you're not special." Connie challenged as he came up to stand beside me, a show of solidarity, "We all have our reasons for going. I'm still trying to process mine, to be honest, but I have to know why Bertolt and Reiner did what they did, I wanna ask while I look them dead in the eye." 

_Me too Connie, then I want to take their heads._

"Good to see you Commander Erwin, glad you're here!" Moblit hollered as he hobbled over to the striking figure of Erwin Smith with Jean, all in one peace, not far behind him and scanning my eyes over the crowd of soldiers behind them, I felt equal parts relieved and disappointed as the man I so desperately wanted to see was nowhere in sight.

_Erwin will have ordered him to stay, which is the right thing, he's injured, but it still hurts not to be near him._

"Is the situation still the same?" Erwin asked calmly and just hearing his voice set my teeth on edge. Always the face of composure, always calculating, always _risking._

"Yes, sir." Moblit nodded solemnly.

"Right" Erwin commanded as his eyes flitted around before landing on me, "Deploy the lifts!"

Rushing into action, soldiers went about deploying the lifts and handing out supplies which were desperately needed and restocking on my blades and gas, I glared hellfire at the Commander who took my anger as an invitation to approach.

_On his head, be it._

"You took your damn time." I snapped before the bastard could get a word out of his mouth and sensing the waves of hostility rolling off of me, Erwin had the sense to take a step back.

"Aurora," He greeted as if nothing was amiss, "Good to see you in one piece, Levi has been unbearable while waiting on news of your living status, he will be relieved to see you in-"

"Why did you send just me!? If you truly suspected Titan within the 104th cadets, why did you send me alone?!" I condemned, my voice breaking slightly as the faces of Miche, Nanaba, Gelgar, Lynne and Henning burned bright in my mind, "I wasn't enough! They died because there weren't enough of us!"

A silence fell after my outburst, and while I watched the Commander chose his next words with more care, I felt rather than saw Rian and Jean gravitating towards me.

"Had I known what was to transpire I would have done just that but things as there were," Erwin tried to placate, but that only added fuel to the fire within, "we had important issues at hand-"

"Important issues?" I snarled as lunged forward and grabbed the front of Erwin's uniform, breaking every rule in the book, but I didn't give a shit, people were dead, _my_ people, and it all could have been avoided, "All of Miche squad is gone! They died fighting off wave after fucking wave of Titans, Nanaba and Gelgar... they died screaming for their parents.... they died while you were seeing to _issues_."

A firm hand grasped the hand that held onto Erwin and turning to bare my teeth, I met Rian's eyes burning with warning, and behind him, all watching me with wide, fearful eyes was Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Sasha, Connie and Historia.

_What am I doing?_

"Rian, it's alright." Erwin reassured as he gently pried me from his shirt before placing his large hands on my shoulder as a parent would a wayward child, "I wish we could have gotten here sooner, I'm sorry for what you have endured and I promise you we are going to make their sacrifices count."

Sacrifices. That's all we were in the end wasnt it? An offering for the greater good whatever that was. Suddenly I felt deep shame because once again I was failing to see the bigger picture. I had advocated necessary death many times before, angry that it had been needed but content that it was for the greater good because it hadn't affected me, not truly and yet here I was, the perfect image of insubordination because it was my turn to suffer, it was childish, it was _selfish_.

_I am just like a wayward child, sulking and bawling when things don't go my way, but I should know by now the world doesn't owe us anything, we mean nothing..._

Sighing in defeat I hung my head in guilt, unable to look the Commander or anyone else for that matter in the eye and turning away from him, I startled as I tried to avoid stepping on a very burnt Hange struggling to reach the Commander.

_What is she doing?!_

"Hange, what the-"

"Don't just stand there!" Hange groaned, "Get me a map!"

Scrambling to the supply crates, I did just as she ordered and grabbed the first map that was in view before running back to her and rolling the leather out across the floor in view for all to see, Hange slammed her fingers down on a spot market with geographical trees that I recognised instantly.

_The giant forest in Wall Maria..._

"It's a gamble, but the trees in this forest are massive," Hange wheezed as stretched back to peer at Erwin who immediately crouched down to her level to stop her from injuring herself further, "I say we ride straight for it. You see, even if they had a way to cover the armoured Titans footprints, this is almost definitely where we would find them."

"Why is that?" Erwin asked, echoing my own confusion.

"They need to recoup," Hange explained as she stared down at the map, "They have the power to assume Titan form, but Titans on that side of the Wall still pose a threat, especially after putting up such a fight. Eren was the worse for it, but they have got to be spent. Let's assume they are headed somewhere out beyond Wall Maria, that's not a simple hike, they will need all the rest they can get before covering that kind of distance. They are in no shape to make it in a single push, if so, they will want to catch their breath somewhere other Titans can't get to them, odds are they will hold out till it gets dark."

_That makes sense, the trees provide shelter from Titans but more than that, Reiner and Bertolt know how to get there, after all, we showed them the way on the 57th expedition..._

"Aurora and I can take the vanguard and lead the entire formation as one, that way we can push forward without deploying the full range and half the time it would take easily," Rian added as he too crouched down beside Erwin with a look of steel in his eyes before he and Erwin both looked to me for confirmation. Nodding my assent, I felt a flicker of fragile hope because if there was one thing we could do that no one else could, it was find Titans.

_This is why we can do what we can do, this is what we're born for._

"That's our best shot. We have until sundown, if we can reach the forest before then, we might just have a chance to save them!" Hange theorised, but it was enough for me and judging from the faces all around us, it was enough for them too. Come salvation or damnation, we were doing this.

"Alright, let's move!" Erwin ordered, kicking everyone into action and it wasn't long before we were all saddled up within the lands of Maria, Rian and I at the tip of the spear as Miche once had been and once again a shadow of doubt began to gnaw away at me at the realisation that the stakes had never been higher.

"What if we don't make it in time?" I whispered to Rian as the last of our soldiers were lowered from the Wall.

"He doesn't know how to give up, like someone else I know." Rian smiled pointedly with a wide toothy smile, alleviating the last of my doubts, "You need to have a little faith that he will hold his own till the rest of us get there. So what do you say, shall we go teach these bastards who they are fucking with?"

"Where you go, I go" I nodded just as Commander gave the order to ride for ruin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the Kudos, Comment, Bookmarks and Subscriptions! They are keeping me going!  
> As always stay safe out there guys!


	21. The War of the Heart and Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ymir makes a tough decision

EREN 

Shadows began to descend upon the trees signalling the fast approaching sunset and staring down at my handless arms, I grit my teeth together in frustration because unlike Ymir, I was not healing fast enough.

_If they make their move soon; I don't know if I will be able to change and help Ymir..._

"Hey Reiner, got any water?" Ymir called out as she fanned herself with her regenerated hand, "Help a girl out, I'm dying over here."

"Sorry, there's not a lot I can do even if it is a matter of life and death." Reiner smiled apologetically from his perch on the thick branch above us and narrowing my eyes, I watched him rub the back of his neck almost shyly as he addressed Ymir, giving him a much less intimidating persona, a far cry from the domineering man he had been a mere few hours ago.

_Somethings off with him, I can feel it..._

"That's comforting. Well, at least now we know where we stand, sort of", Ymir grumbled as she ran a hand down her flushed face, sweat making her dark brown hair stick to her face as steam continued to rise from her almost healed leg.

_If only I could be so lucky._

"Speaking of which, we've been working our asses off, no food, no sleep, no nothing. Ever since those Titans showed up, that was yesterday right?" Reiner rambled, and every one of us turned to look at him as if he had grown a second head, "Man, we're lucky the wall hasn't been destroyed. Still, you'd think they would give us a break, and god don't even get me started on promotion."

_What the hell? I thought he wanted the wall destroyed?!_

"What?" Reiner challenged as he caught Bertolt's alarmed gaze, "Aww come on, I don't think that's too much to ask, do you? God knows we've done our fair share of the heavy lifting and if the Sparhawkes can be promoted so young, why can't we? I mean, I get it, were soldiers', duty first. It's just nice to be acknowledged is all I'm saying."

_Nice to be acknowledged? What the fuck is he talking about?_

"You bang your head or something?" Ymir puzzled as she looked at reiner with apprehensive eyes, "What are you even talking about?"

"Don't give me that!" Reiner threw back as he held his arms out in exasperation, "I'm not saying we storm in and demand the rank of captain or anything."

"No that's not what I mean..." Ymir trailed off as her sharp eyes narrowed in on Bertolt before returning back to Reiner with a suspicious look, almost as if she had figured out what the hell Reiner was talking about.

"Oh yeah, where did you find that canon by the way, I owe you one for saving my bacon. Well you and Aurora both, did you see the way she wrestled with that Titan when it tried to smash my head in?!" Reiner gushed in awe with a deep blush forming on his sharp cheekbones that had my insides reeling in disgust, "That's twice she's saved me now. I'm starting to think she might have a soft spot for me if you know what I mean, er no offence, I know she's your sister, but damn she's wasted on Captain Lev-"

"HEY!" I screamed, unable to hear him talk about Aurora any longer, not after everything he had done to her, "What's wrong with you?! You've got to be kidding me!"

_Has he gone soft in the head!? A soft spot for him?! After he destroyed our home?!_

"Huh, what are you so pissed about all of a sudden, take it easy man, is it what I said about your sister or er?" Reiner said confused as he held his hands up in surrender, his face the perfect picture of ignorance and I felt my fury spike.

_He doesn't get to talk about her! He doesn't get to think about her! Who the fuck does he think he is?!_

"IF YOU WANNA DIE THEN JUST KEEP TALKING!" I stormed as I jumped up to my feet and jabbed my stump at him threateningly with my teeth bared in a snarl.

"Hold up Eren," Ymir cautioned as she held her hand out to me before turning to Bertolt with a knowing smile, "I think somebody has gone off the deep end, is that what this is Bertolt? If you know something we don't, now would be a good time to put it on the table."

Looking down with sadness at both of us from his seat on the branch, knees pulled up to his chest, sweat visibly poured from Bertolt's skin before he turned his mournful gaze towards Reiner who was looking back at him confused.

_He has, hasn't he? Reiner's lost his damn mind..._

"Reiner, you're not a soldier okay," Bertolt pleaded, his words barely above a whisper, "You and I were … warriors."

_Soldiers...Warriors? What's the difference?_

Pain laced across Reiner's face as his eyes took on a faraway look with some internal battle he was clearly having before he seemed to snap back into himself and his golden eyes filled with tears.

"Right, I see, that's how thing are." Reiner lamented as the tears began to fall from his eyes, and unable to face us any longer, he buried his head in his hands and began to sob.

_He's crying? After everything he had done, and he's the one crying?!_

"What the hell is he doing?!" I demanded without a shred of pity for the murdering asshole, he didn't deserve to sit there and play the victim, not now, not ever!

"I've got a pretty good idea, or at least I think so." Ymir hedged as she continued to watch Reiner with narrowed eyes, "It didn't add up at first, why would the man who broke the walls risk his neck to save Aurora, one of the few soldiers who could actually pose a threat to him and his mission. It's like the poor bastard's personality has been compartmentalised. Everything he does is a contradiction in terms, he can't help it, on the one hand, he's a warrior hellbent on pushing mankind past the brink, on the other, he's pretending to be a soldier. I'm thinking he got a little lost in the role, you see, he can't resolve those facets of himself, can't bear the weight of what he's done. The only way for him to manage his own conscious is to fall for his own act. He thinks he is a soldier! This is what you call a split personality, he's gone insane. His heart and mind are at war with each other and judging by Bertolt's expression, this isn't the first stalemate."

_He can't bear the weight of what he has done..._

"It blows me away," Ymir laughed cruelly, "Someone as brutally honest as you losing your grip-"

"SHUT UP!" Reiner roared as he flew to his feet, "NOT ANOTHER WORD!"

"I'm sorry" Ymir smirked, "Must have really hit a nerve."

_With more than just him._

Hate like I had never felt before burned hot inside me, so much so, that my entire body was vibrating with the struggle to contain the fire. How dare he stand there and cry for himself, how dare he turn away from what he has done, how dare he hideaway in himself and pretend to stand at our side, fighting for humanity when he was the bastard that wanted us all to be devoured!

"Is this some kind of sick joke? Where do you get off pretending to be the victim? Wallowing in your own self-pity, how dare you." I seethed as Reiner averted his gaze away in shame, but Bertolt remained trapped in my burning condemnation, "What was going through your head the day I told you my story, remember that Bertolt huh, I'm talking to you, _lackey_!"

No answer came, only stares as Bertolt continued to witness my rage with a face racked with obvious guilt as he damn well should.

"I told you everything," I spat, unable to stop the poison from bleeding out, "You sat there and looked me straight in the eye, watched me relive seeing my mother eaten alive, relive how we had to run with Aurora slung over Rian's shoulder, bleeding out into the street as we left their grandfather to die! Don't you remember? Well, it just so happens that the chunk of wall you kicked out fell on our houses, it's what kept them from being able to run away with us, ring any bells?! Does it take you back?! Let me ask you again, what was going through your head when I told you that story?!"

_Answer me, you bastard!_

"Want me to be honest?" Bertolt murmured as he finally cast his eyes away, my hatred too much for him to bear, "At the moment, I felt sorry for you." 

_Pity? He's the reason we lost everything and he felt **pity** for me?_

"Sorry for me....so then.... you're not warriors or soldiers... your just murderers." I whispered incredulous as his words sank in, he felt _sorry_ for me, "Psychotic mass murders who snuffed out the lives of countless people who never did you any wrong!"

"DON'T YOU THINK IM NOT AWARE OF THAT FACT!" Reiner bellowed, the truth being too much for him to bear it seemed, "I DON'T NEED YOU SHOVING IT DOWN MY GODDAMN THROAT!"

_Oh, yes you fucking do!_

"THEN STOP ACTING LIKE YOU'VE GOT ANY RIGHT TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF!" I thundered as the memories of Shiganshina burned like they had never burned before, "WERE LIVING IN A HELL YOU TWO CREATED! ARE YOU PROUD OF YOURSELVES! YOUR NOT ONE OF US! YOU'VE NEVER BEEN! YOU'RE NOT EVEN HUMAN ANYMORE!"

_MONSTERS! TRAITORS! BUTCHERS!_

"YOU WANT AN APOLOGY, THAT'S WHAT YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF CALLING US MURDERERS?! WANT US TO FEEL BAD?!" Reiner yelled, veins bulging in his neck, "WANT US TO TAKE THE BLAME?! WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?! THE PEOPLE WHO YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW DON'T EXIST, THEY'RE DEAD! BUT HEY IF SCREAMING DOES IT FOR YOU THEN GO AHEAD AND SCREAM YOUR GODDAMN HEAD OFF!"

Silence fell as my breath came out in ragged pants. He was right, wasn't he? The Reiner and Bertolt I knew never existed, the monsters standing above me had never been my friends, they had been shepherds leading us like lambs to the slaughter and yet knowing that hurt more than learning they were the reason my family was all but gone, but who was I, right, to dare to challenge them on their actions? I was just one name in a countless line of people whose lives they had destroyed, whose home they had taken from them, whose friends had died screaming when they attempted to destroy Wall Rose.

_I'll tell them who I am, I am the one who will make them pay for their injustice, I will be the one to make them feel all the pain of the countless lives they ruined!_

"You're right, who am I? What do I know?" I growled, my eyes narrowing into slits as I focused all my resentment on the two monsters before me, "Still, I've got to do something, anything. I swear to you, one way or another the two of you will pay, and it's going to _hurt._ "

"You can't be for real." Ymir scoffed, snapping me from my rage before turning to look at her in disbelief, "Eren grow up, keep spouting off childish bullshit like that and I've got no hope for you."

_Childish bullshit?! Is she for real!?_

"Tell me something," Ymir directed to Reiner after fixing me with a hard glare, "What's with the giant monkey?"

_Monkey? Does she mean the Beast Titan Aurora mentioned?_

"What are you talking about?" Reiner asked carefully but the look in his eyes showed he knew precisely what Ymir was asking.

_Makes one of us._

"Huh, I thought for sure you'd know, from the way you guys were ogling it all slacked jawed, I thought we were seeing some sort of living legend, so who is he?" Ymir asked sweetly, too sweetly, and I turned to glare daggers at her. Was she really trying to be all nicey nice to these bastards?

"A monkey?" I snapped, "Don't be cute."

"Shut up and listen." Ymir chastised before she pushed her agenda with Reiner, "Monkey, Beast Titan, whatever you want to call him, he's behind this latest fiasco. It's why Titans are cropping up out of nowhere. I get the feeling he is gauging our strength. Reiner and Bertolt are trying to get wherever he is, it's how they are getting back home." Ymir explained to me before her brown eyes flitted back to Reiner and Bertolt, "Feel free to correct me if I'm getting way off base."

Ymir had hit the nail on the head if Reiner's and Bertolt's shocked expressions were anything to go by; however this also begged the question, how the fuck did she manage to put all that together if she supposedly knew as much as I did.

_Secrets upon fucking secrets!_

"How did you know?!" I demanded, done with the cloak and dagger routine, "Who are you?! What else haven't you told me?!"

"Be patient," Ymir stressed, her brow crinkling with frustration, "I'm caught up in circumstances of my own."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" I shouted, why wasn't anything she was saying making any sense!

"Eren if you think killing these morons will put an end to all of this you are sorely mistaken." Ymir laughed darkly, and shivers ran down my spine at the implications her words.

_Reiner and Bertolt aren't the real enemies are they, they are just the errand boys..._

"But then who is the enemy?!" I cried out, desperate for her to shed some fucking light on what the hell was really happening here.

"Look," Ymir started, "If I told you things -"

"Ymir", Reiner called out to her, and I growled in frustration as he attempted to stall the truth, "There is no future for this world, and you know it. You seem to have a solid grasp of things, what do you think comes next? Joining our side wouldn't be out of the question if you were so inclined."

_Is he taking the actual piss?! Why would she join their side!?_

"And put my faith in you guys?" Ymir said doubtful, but her eyes lit up with curiosity none the less, "That's rich, neither of you trusts me as far as you can throw me."

"That's not true, but we know what you really want." Reiner said with a knowing smile that had me gritting my teeth together as Ymir listened intently, "All you care about is protecting Krista, if we can all agree on that then there's no conflict, right? I'm being absolutely serious here, is it so hard to believe we want what's best for her too, I hate to break it to you, but you're not the only one. Again, you could always put your trust in Eren, see where that leads you."

_Don't you dare even consider it!_

"Your leaning towards escape, right?" Reiner continued on, sensing he had Ymir exactly where he wanted her, "Better to throw in with him than us because if we end up taking you, then there isn't much hope of being rescued. I'll be straight with you that much is true, even if you came willingly were not in a position to guarantee your safety but if it is Krista we're talking about, then we might be able to do something."

_He's lying, he's lying through his fucking teeth._

"It's your call, is it Krista's future or your own petty existence?" Reiner proclaimed as he delivered his ultimatum and turning back to look at me in indecision, Ymir's eyes bored into my own. Was there really no future for this world? Were we doomed to be Titan fodder regardless of what we do? And the beast Titan, how does he figure into this? Where is he going to take us? There was also the fact they still haven't told me why they want Aurora and Rian, in fact, why hadn't they offered a similar deal to me for their future?

_Because they are lying! They have been lying from the start and now is no different, they aren't going to protect Krista, they are going to kill us all!_

"You said you wanted Aurora and Rian to come with you too, so why haven't you offered me the same deal for them? What do you even need them for? They aren't shifters like us, what's the play there or is it because you want to take my sister all for yourself, huh Reiner?!" I accused with venom lacing my tone before turning to Ymir to demand some answers, "And you! Tell me! Who is the real enemy?! Who is it?!"

Ymir seemed to mull over her options as she stared back at me before her face went entirely blank, and her eyes turned cold and unfeeling.

_You treacherous bitch, can't you see they are playing you!_

"I couldn't say" Ymir drawled, ending all hope for answers and any hope of me getting out of here.

"Alright then," Reiner smiled before turning back to me with a shrug of his shoulders, "Sorry Eren, I wish we could have done this another way."

I didn't dignify him with a response; instead, I chose to glare at the rapidly dwindling light as I struggled to come to terms with the road laid out before me, hoping against hope that the scouts were on their way.

_Only one hour left until sunset._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the Kudos, Comment, Subscriptions and Bookmarks. I never thought I would ever write this many chapter, nor would this many people read and like my work. You guys are amazing :D  
> as always, I love hearing for you all, feel free to drop a comment to let me know what your thinking, any theories you have, any suggestions and constructive criticism is always welcome, I do want to make my writing the best it can be.   
> Please stay safe out there!


	22. Love is the Death of Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner's plans are thrown into chaos as the scouts finally catch up to them.

REINER 

Sunset was almost upon us and I should be feeling relief at the safety that provided but instead, as I watched the orange light cascaded down upon the evergreen landscape all I felt was dread as smoke flares rocketed into the sky just over a league away, killing all hopes of safety.

_You've got to be fucking kidding me!? The Scouts are here already? !_

"Son of a bitch!" I spat as green smoke signals ripped through the sky, directing the formation straight for our exact location and gritting my teeth together, I inhaled sharply through my nose at the same time as Bertolt saw what was causing my temper to flare. There was only one way the Scouts had managed to cover that amount of distance in such a short space of time. The Sparhawkes.

_I knew we should have taken them when we had the chance, as long as they are heading that formation, they can cut a navigate a path through the Titans straight to the forest!_

"Talk to me Reiner!" Bertolt fretted as he grabbed my shoulders, his eyes wide with panic, "What are you right now?!"

"A warrior, calm down", I emphasised as I shoved his hands off me, this wasn't the time to lose our shit, this was the time to make tracks and get the hell out of town. 

_Preferably before Eren notices his family have come for him_.

"Do you really think trusting Ymir is a good idea? Even though she's the one who devoured Marcel?" Bertolt worried in a hushed tone, no doubt to keep our newest and albeit somewhat reluctant ally from hearing but as untrustworthy as she most certainly was, we had one distinct advantage.

_Krista Lenz_

"Sure, don't you see?" I reasoned, confident in my read of Ymir, "We've a handle on her motives. When she turned human again odds are she just wandered around aimlessly only giving a damn about herself, but then Krista came into the picture and changed her world, which works well for us because we need her. The people she comes from are an important family within the church, plus, suppose Eren is not the Coordinate, our job wouldn't be over. If it comes to that, having Krista around will make the search a lot easier."

I had spent months digging for the Coordinate's whereabouts throughout training and stumbling on Krista's heritage had been an added bonus, a failsafe of sorts for if Eren wasn't who we hoped he was, after all, there was still one of the nine Titans unaccounted for since the Great Titan War, besides the Coordinate, and it was a Titan we knew next to nothing about.

_If Eren isn't the Coordinate, then he has to be the Lost Titan..._

The firing of more flares reached our ears, and I turned back in shock to see double green signals sailing into the sky, closing the gap faster than I had thought possible. 

_Commander Erwin must be with them, he's the only one who could keep the formation as one... we have to leave now..._

"They are that close?!" Bertolt trembled as another flare shot upwards, at this rate they would be upon us before sunset, "How is that possible?"

"Commander Erwin will be using the Sparhawke twins to lead them through the Titans" I gritted out in frustration, why was it always one of those redheads throwing our plans to hell? "We should have taken them when we had the chance, with them on their side they can hunt us as soon as I transform."

_If they manage to catch up to us, they may leave me no choice but to kill them... I don't want Aurora to die...not by my hand at least._

"Please let this just be done with," Bertolt begged and turning to look at him I saw a deep weariness settle across his features, "Next time we come back we will take all of them. Annie, Krista, Aurora, Rian and the coordinate, then we won't have to come here anymore."

_He says that like he wants to get the others when in reality it's Annie he wants back..._

"Right, and we will have completed our damn mission," I nodded before giving him a pointed look, "Just do me a favour huh, once were home try telling Annie how you really feel."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Bertolt spluttered as his face turned bright red making me shake my head in exasperation, I had been with them since we joined the warrior programme, did he really think I was blind to his infatuation?

"Come on," I groaned, "I've seen the way you stare at her."

"I don't stare!" Bertolt defended, turning an even darker shade of red as if that was even possible.

_Oh, yes you do._

"Bertolt please, life is short enough as it is, just go for it," I encouraged as I turned and unclipped my ODM gear, "Besides your both killers, so she understands where your head is."

"Your one to talk." Bertolt sniped under his breath and choosing to ignore his sly dig about my supposed obsession with Aurora Sparhawke, I engaged my ODM gear and swung down to the tree below landing directly in front of Eren who backed up from me with a wild edge to him.

"What are you two doing now!?" Eren snarled as his eyes darted between Bertolt and me, taking on the look of an animal backed into a corner, "I thought we were waiting till dark." 

_Doesn't miss shit, does he?_

"There has been a slight change of plans," I drawled before holding my finger up to him in warning, "I'm gonna ask you nicely to not try and put up a fight."

_For the love of God don't fight me on this kid._

Eren's entire persona suddenly shifted to that of an innocent as he held his steaming stumps out to me with a sickly-sweet smile on his face that had my eyes narrowing in doubt, passiveness didn't suit him, what was he trying to pull?

"Easy, there is no need for us to get all violent." Eren reasoned as he took very calculated steps back, "It's not like I can resist like this; I mean take a look at me. Just calm down okay?" 

_Little shit is actually going for it._

Knowing where he was going with this, I tried to make a grab for him before he could get a run-up, but the slippery little bastard was too quick and rushing head-on at me, Eren slammed his full weight into me and took me straight off my feet.

_Shit!_

"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! YOU EVIL-" Eren screamed as he bashed his stumps against my face and using my feet, I kicked him from me hard, sending him flying back, before pushing to my feet and diving on top of him, forcing his neck into a chokehold in the hopes of knocking the little bastard out.

"BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL RIP YOU APART! YOU'LL BE SORRY YOU WERE EVER BORN! YOU PERVERT! I'LL TEACH YOU TO LOOK AT MY SISTER!" Eren managed to choke out around my hold, but for all his bolster I could feel his strength waning, I just had to hold on a little longer, "LET FUCKING GO!"

_Hard to keep away from her when she is the one hunting me down as we speak..._

Jumping down on the tree next to Ymir, Bertolt crouched down and began muttering something to Ymir that I couldn't hear over Eren's snarling and flailing so squeezing a little tighter, I cut off the last of Eren's resistance and listened in to what was being said.

"Hey, it's not your fault for not remembering, it was the same for Reiner and me." Bertolt reassured quietly as he turned to look back at Eren as he slowly lost consciousness, "Eren doesn't remember either."

 _Is he talking about the inheritance ritual_?

"Is that how it works?" Ymir frowned as she looked down at her hands before looking back to Bertolt with narrowed eyes, "You hold that against me?"

"Don't think so... I mean, I dunno." Bertolt admitted as I released my hold on Eren's sleeping form, "Suppose I have to believe you didn't want to eat anyone."

_Marcel..._

I was still finding it hard to believe that Ymir was the Titan that had attacked our camp that day five years ago, because of her we lost our leader, and I had to step up and fill the gaping void he left behind, because of her we've been stumbling blindly towards our goal with the knowledge that not only had we lost our friend, but we had lost the Jaw Titan's power too. 

_If we hadn't found her and Eren, they would have taken our Titans from us as punishment for our failures..._

"How long were you wandering outside the wall?" Bertolt asked as I tied Eren's arms behind his back and placed a gag in his mouth to stop him from biting his Titan free.

"Oh, about sixty years." Ymir sighed, and I felt my eyebrows pulling together at the thought of so many years trapped, "Hell on earth, every day was like waking up into a nightmare."

_60 years as a Pure Titan, stuck inside your own body with no way out...screaming from the inside..._

Heaving Eren up onto my back and securing him in place, I shook the dark thoughts from my mind and approached Ymir and Bertolt because as cosy as this little chat was, we had the scouts closing in and soon they would be up our asses. 

"For now, we have to find a place without Titans as far away as possible." I explained as I gestured for the pair of them to follow as I inched towards the edge of the tree, "I haven't recovered enough to outrun the Titans ,if they surround us there is jack shit my Titan form can do right now."

Diving off the branch, I engaged my ODM gear and moments later heard Bertolt do the same as the ground below thundered with the feet of the Titans that were giving us chase.

"Then why the hell didn't we wait for the sun to go down!?" Ymir challenged from her perch on Bertolt's back and as if in answer to her question and to spite me, multiple flares rocketed into the sky revealing the vast force that had mustered to hunt us down.

_Shit! That's way more than I anticipated! I don't know if I can outrun that many!_

"Damn it! That formation wouldn't have worked unless they hoisted a bunch of horses over the wall, who the hell gave that order!?" I swore as a single green flare shredded through the sky answering my question for me, "I honestly thought we had more time than this. It's got to be commander Erwin, hard as nails that one."

_Shit, this is all Eren's fault for losing his cool! They are too close, when I transform, they will be able to follow us and give chase as soon as the Sparhawkes find me and here I was hoping to avoid confrontation altogether._

"Reiner!" Ymir cried out in panic, making me turn to her in haste, "We have to go back now! Krista is with them!"

"What?!" I asked dumbfounded, she couldn't know for sure that Krista was here, there is no way she knew.

"This is our best chance!" Ymir pushed, and I shook my head in irritation, didn't she know what was at stake here?!

_Of course she doesn't._

"You're full of it, there is no way you can see that far!" I accused, was this her way of buying time for the Scouts? Was she turning on us already?

"Look I just know okay! Think about it!" Ymir shouted desperately, her eyes full of pleading, "She's a big softie! Stupid girl has come to rescue me, she had to!"

_No! I can't be swayed! The only out is forward!_

"Yeah well, so what?!" I threw back as a signal flare sailed above the trees, the scouts had entered the forest, "I'm sorry it will have to wait!"

"What?!" Ymir screeched making Bertolt visibly flinch as Ymir's temper spiked and my heart thumped in my ears because if she decided to transform now, Bertolt was fucked.

_I can't help him, not with Eren on my back..._

"We can't grab her the way things are right now," I tried to reason very conscious of the fact that Bertolt couldn't transform, "There is no way to bust up that formation! Another time!"

_Come on Ymir, use your damn head!_

"How long do you want me to wait? Want me to hold off till after I've been gobbled up by one of your warrior pals?" Ymir snarled and under any other circumstances I would have felt sympathy for her, nobody wanted to die without seeing the ones they loved one last time, "Oh no, I don't think so!"

 _Please...we just want to go home._..

"Don't be that way!" I implored, sensing I was losing the battle with her, "Nobody Is trying to trick you, I swear it!"

"Prove it then, there is no time like the present asshole!" Ymir taunted, but she knew as well as I that we couldn't, "Get down there and bring her with us! I have to see her, you don't understand, the way things are going... I never will."

_I'm sorry..._

"We can't. Let it go Ymir." Bertolt griped, and Ymir's eyes took on a dangerous edge that had me gripping my controls tighter, "Who knows if we will manage to survive this, it's just too risky."

_Careful Bertolt._

"You have my word," I swore, hoping to appease her, because monster I may be, but even I didn't want the death of a 15-year-old girl such as Krista on my soul when I could have saved her, "I want to help her as much as you do, bear with me. You have to trust us, this is what's best for Krista, do you understand?" 

_Please... listen to reason..._

"Yes, I understand, the real question is, do you?" Ymir challenged, and a weight lifted off my chest as acceptance filled her entire features.

"Of course", Bertolt reassured as he sailed through the trees.

"Alright, then. Thank you for that." I sighed in relief only to clench again in fear as Bertolt began to cry out in panic and turning back to look at him, my eyes widened as Ymir started to forcefully throw her weight around on Bertolt's shoulders to purposefully knock them off course.

_What is she doing?!_

"Let's face it guys," Ymir smiled as she grabbed a handful of Bertolt's hair and forced his head back, "I'm the one best suited for this."

Throwing her weight back, Ymir caused Bertolt's grapples to disengage, and my heart dropped as they both plummeted towards the forest floor but somehow Bertolt managed to grapple and get them both back into the trees before they became evening snacks for the Titan's on our heels.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Bertolt screamed as Ymir continued to thrash around, sending them headfirst for a tree trunk before Bertolt once again managed to correct their course to safety. 

_She's gonna kill them both!_

"Shut the hell up and use your head for a second. In a forest like this I'm the one who can shine, right?" Ymir declared as she rattled Bertolt's body.

"Ymir knock it off, well fall!" Bertolt warned and the echoing laughter that Ymir responded with sent shivers down my spine, the crazy bitch was willing to take that risk.

"Do you think that I give a damn?" Ymir cackled as she levelled me with a hard stare, "I have the advantage, any other time you two would outclass me, but my Titan form is more agile. I could grab Eren, leap through the trees and rendezvous with the scouts before you knew what hit you, wouldn't be that hard."

_Oh shit..._

"Either you agree to take Krista with us right now or so help me I will throw your whole plan out of wack!" Ymir threatened, and I knew she was deadly serious but I couldn't believe she was willing to risk Krista like this, I thought I understood what she wanted.

_I thought she loved her..._

"Are you completely insane?! That doesn't help her?" I accused, "I thought that you genuinely cared!" 

"I do, in my way. If it robs her of a future, then life's a bitch, but by God, I will live to see her again. I've made my peace with what that says about me." Ymir wept as she turned her watery eyes to bore into mine and I could see she was beyond all reason now, "You guys have no idea what it's like, she knows what a shitty person I am, but she still smiles at me, I can't..."

_Shit shit shit shit_

"Damn it!" I cursed as I landed on the closest tree followed by Bertolt with Ymir before turning to glare hellfire at the bitch for setting my plans on fire, there was no way on earth we were getting out of this now, not without a fight.

_For fuck sake! When will something go right for us!?_

"Don't be pissed, I have a fairly decent plan, besides if I stay and fight it will be easier for you three to get away." Ymir reasoned before her eyes turned hard and her teeth bared in a crazed edge, "Then again if you don't like it, we can always tear each other apart like animals!" 

_I've got no choice..._

_"_ Fine!" I spat, "but if this goes tits up, I'll kill you myself!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos, Subscriptions and bookmarks! You guys are the best :D:D


	23. The Fight for Mankind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is running out for the scouts to save mankind's only hope

RIAN 

The forest lay dead ahead and everywhere I turned I felt the endless hordes of Titan surrounding us, ready to devour us all, sending my body into overdrive with the need to either fight or flee.

_We're fine, we're okay, we're fine..._

"Commander we're surrounded." Aurora hollered as she sent up another red smoke flare before casting an anxious glance in my direction, at this rate the Titans would be upon us before the formation passed through the forest.

"There is a way around," Scout Bachman shouted from behind as he pointed to a narrow opening between the trees and the Titans, "Should we take it?!" 

_We don't have that kind of time, if we go around the forest it will be too late._

"Can you get us through?" Commander Erwin asked, his eyes fixed on Aurora who held the greater range on Titan spotting and looking back to me once again with uncertainty, Aurora nodded her head before pointing her withdrawn blade to the heart of the forest.

_That means yes but it isn't going to be pretty._

"The front of the formation, yes, but by the time we enter the forest Titans would be on the rear", Aurora warned as he eyes darted across the trees looking for any sign of Eren and his captors.

_They had to have seen us coming, there is no way they could miss the flares unless they were in the heart of the forest though somehow I doubted that was the case._

"We forge ahead, soldiers prepare to fight!" Commander Erwin ordered, and the ringing of steel rang through the air just as we reached the outskirts of the forest and my insides pulled once again as another Titan joined the fold.

"Rian!" Aurora cried out as a flash of light lit up the trees and gritting my teeth, I felt the gush of hot wind brush my face as the odds began to tip against us.

"I felt it too!" I answered and withdrew my blades ready, at least we could count our lucky stars that it wasn't the colossal Titan because the blast would have killed us all by now.

_Reiner then... or maybe Ymir or Eren managed to escape..._

"Report!" Commander Erwin demanded as he looked between the two of us and our drawn blades.

"Someone has transformed in the forest!" Aurora called back as she kicked into her horse to push the beast faster and following her lead, Commander Erwin and I did the same.

"We haven't got much time! Soldier disperse, the enemy had assumed Titan form!" Commander Erwin bellowed as he finally withdrew his blades, "Find Eren and get him out of there!"

A battle cry rang throughout the formation and leading the charge, Aurora and I was the first to break through the trees just as the first screams of the rear began to filter forward from the MP ranks, just like Aurora said and my heart dropped with guilt.

_Are we really going to just leave them to their fates?_

"The MPs are going to drop like flies out here!" I grunted as the forest path narrowed and forced my horse closer to Aurora's as Mikasa, Armin, Hannes, Connie, Jean, Historia and Sasha closed the gap behind us to form one offensive unit.

"Let them! We have a job to do!" Aurora snapped, and my eyes widened in shock at the words that had just left her mouth, "Don't look at me like that. We have to find Eren, that's our job! Theirs is to deal with the Titans, that's what they were supposed to be the best at, remember? They _chose_ the interior."

_That doesn't mean we should leave them to die!_

"As harsh as it is, she's right" Hannes hollered from behind us, "Combat isn't our objective, locate, recover and retreat! That's our goal, and it's high time we got airborne!"

"Come on!" Aurora commanded and climbing to her feet on the back off her horse, Aurora engaged her ODM gear and shot up into the trees with the others following in her wake and gritting my teeth as more screams bounced off the trees, I too engaged my ODM gear and followed the billowing red hair streaming behind Aurora's sailing form. 

_I'm sorry..._

"First thing we need to do is pinpoint the enemy." Hannes said as he took charge before turning his head to Aurora, "Aurora, have you got them?"

Closing her eyes briefly as she continued to move between the trees, Aurora took a deep breath before her brow creased, making a tiny 'v' form between her thick eyebrows, and she grunted in effort.

"There is too many..." Aurora moaned before her eyes snapped open and focused on a section of the forest to the right of our position, "No wait! There is one, high in the trees, that way!"

_High in the trees?_

"Right you take point," Hannes ordered as he changed his course to follow Aurora, "Rest of you follow and locate the enemy before letting the others know, we cannot let them leave this forest-"

A howling shriek suddenly ripped through the trees unlike anything I had ever heard before but the source was unmistakable, it was a Titan, and it was close.

"I know that scream..." Aurora trailed off as she flung herself into the trees and it wasn't long before the source showed itself in the form of a small, as far as Titans go, Titan that was hanging in the trees like a damn monkey, its large brown eyes darting between every one of us as more Scouts burst through the trees with their blades drawn.

_Something about its eyes is almost familiar..._

"I can see you!" one such scout called out, bloodlust dripping in his voice as he grappled onto the tree above the Titan but before he could engage the Titan in combat, a flash of red zipped in front of him, and my heart ceased in my chest as Aurora dropped down on to the Titans head and held her blade clad hands out in warning.

_What is she doing?!_

"NO WAIT!" Aurora insisted as I landed on the nearest tree with a deep frown on my face, "THIS IS YMIR, THIS IS HER TITAN FORM, SHE'S ONE OF THE PEOPLE THEY TOOK!"

_The eyes... Ymir's eyes... but why is she here in Titan form but Eren isn't.... something isn't right here..._

"Ymir, what the hell happened, where are the others? Is Eren okay? What about Bertolt and Reiner?!" Aurora rambled question after question but what answer she expected I didn't know since Titans don't talk, and growling out when she got none, Aurora began to stamp her foot down on Ymir's head like a child taking a tantrum, "I know you can speak so fucking answer me!"

_What the fuck, she can talk!?_

Grappling beside me, Armin's mop of blonde hair appeared as the others all found their perches on neighbouring trees, eyes all fixated on Aurora and Ymir with varying levels of suspicion which I shared. Why would Ymir transform if she wasn't going to flee and why wouldn't she have grabbed Eren at the first opportunity? I mean, I know they aren't close, but he may be the only one of her kind that doesn't pose a direct threat to her.

_Unless she transformed to fight, but then... wouldn't I have felt Reiner or Bertolt transform too?_

"Did she assume Titan form to take on Reiner and escape?" Armin puzzled once again mirroring my thoughts as we watched Ymir shift her head back and forth, her eyes assessing each and every one of us before moving on to look around the trees.

 _What is she looking for_?

"Ymir what's the deal? Did you manage to get away from them? What direction did they go?" Jean called out when Aurora got no answers, his eyes fixed on my sister as sweat clung to his face giving his skin a glossy sheen, anxiety rolling off him in waves setting me on edge.

_I don't like this one bit..._

"Give us something to go on, anything!", Sasha begged, but again Ymir gave no answer as she continued to look between us, her head snapping back and forth with more vigour almost like she was losing her patience.

"Say something already!" Connie stormed before he threw his grapples into Ymir's head and hung himself in front of her face, "Come on ugly! We're kind of in a rush!"

"Something isn't right." Armin muttered voicing my own concerns, "Why is she looking at all of us?"

_Because she's looking for_ **_someone_ ** _, not something..._

Rustling in the trees sounded from the direction we had all come from and snapping her large head around, almost knocking Connie off balance, Ymir focused in on the sound, her eyes full and bright as corn blonde hair burst through the green with a cry of delight.

_Oh shit!_

"YMIR!" Historia cried, her face bright with joy as the Titaness came into her line of sight, "There you are! Thank goodness you're alright!"

Releasing her hold on the tree, Ymir dove from her hanging spot, but not before Aurora swung down and slammed Connie out of danger, and open her jaw's wide. I barely had time to shout for Historia to flee when Ymir's jaws snapped down around her, leaving only her skinny legs sticking out like toothpicks, while we all stared in shock as she disappeared into the trees.

_She... ate her..._

"Did she just..." Armin spluttered, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Ymir!" Sasha cried, "What are you-"

"BRING HER DOWN!" Aurora boomed as she threw Connie forward and then herself after Ymir like the devil was on her heels, "SHE'S WITH REINER!"

_I thought the shifters didn't eat human..._

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE! MOVE YOUR ASSES!" Jean bellowed as he took off after Aurora, and shaking myself out of my shock, I grabbed Armin by his coat and propelled us into the trees after them.

"She's too fast, were going to lose her!" Mikasa hollered just as we caught up to Jean and Aurora but no sooner as I was on their tail, Aurora screamed in frustration before she flipped herself backwards and disappeared into the trees before I had the chance to follow her.

_Shit! What the hell is she doing?!_

"Why would Ymir do that?" Sasha quavered as she spun herself around a tree in a desperate attempt to catch up to Ymir, but it was clear that wasn't going to happen, and the only one fast enough had just scattered through the trees to god knows where.

_Come on Aurora, what the fuck are you playing at!? We need you here!_

"What's wrong with you people," Jean snapped as he threw himself forward in vain, "Am I seriously the only one that saw this coming?!"

_He knew... that's why he was watching Aurora when she standing on Ymir's head... he knew something was wrong..._

"Well it's clear where her loyalties are now, she and Reiner are on the same side!" Armin declared, "We've been lured into a trap!"

_Yes, that much is painfully clear Armin!_

The thundering of hooves suddenly sounded below us and looking down at the noise of a sharp whistle, my eyes widened as I spotted Aurora astride her horse, another in tow, galloping towards the break in the trees with the others freely following her not far behind.

_Aurora you clever bastard! She knew we couldn't outrun her on foot or with ODM gear, so she went back for the horses!_

"Rian!" Aurora called up to me as she held onto the horse beside her, "Get on the damn hor-" breaking off in a scream, Aurora hunkered over her horse and suddenly, pain punched in my gut just as a bright light filled the trees.

_Shit!_

Allowing myself to drop, I swung myself down and landed on the horse Aurora was guiding as a gust of burning wind billowed through my cloak to reveal the newly formed Armoured Titan with Bertolt, Eren tied to his back, on his shoulder, making a break for it into open country where our ODM gear was less effective. 

_Shit shit shit_

"COME ON!" Aurora ordered as she kicked her horse into full cant and still having hold of the reins of my horse, pulled me right along with her, "HE'S GETTING AWAY!"

* * *

ERWIN 

Blinding light shone out through the trees spooking my horse and making him rear as hot wind rushed all around and I didn't need to be a Sparhawke to know what that meant.

_We've run out of time…_

Bursting from the trees, carrying our last hope away, the armoured Titan broke free from the forest out into open land and my stomach dropped at the sight of him breaking for freedom when suddenly two riders emerged from the forest, hot his heels, the fading sunlight catching their red hair.

_We're not finished yet!_

Hope soared as they quickly gained on the Armoured Titan, but hope alone was not enough, and unless we managed to stop him in his tracks there is little Aurora or Rian could do against that armour, no matter how skilled they were.

_Our blades are effectively useless, and we don't have the strength or manpower to stop him…_

Time seemed to slow to an almost standstill as my eyes focused on on the Armoured Titan before turning back to the forest just as scouts and Titans alike began to pour from the woodwork, Titans that we could use to our advantage.

 _Our blades did nothing but Eren caused damage in his Titan Form… to beat the armoured Titan, we need to use a Titan…Or in this case… and it just so happens we have a horde on hand_.

"Let the Titans chase you!" I ordered as I sheathed my blades, this would be close, and I would need full control of my reigns if I was to lead our quarry to ground, "Follow my lead!"

"DO WHAT!" An MP officer wailed before understanding dawned on his terrified features, "ERWIN YOU CONNIVING BASTARD! YOU'RE USING US AS BAIT AGAIN!"

_I'd use you as bait and more if it secured our victory._

"IT'S THE ONLY WAY! YOU FOUGHT WELL AS MPS NOW GIVE YOUR ALL AS SOLDIERS! THE ARMOURED TITAN MUST BE STOPPED BEFORE HE TAKES EREN! FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!" I stormed before taking the lead and kicking my horse into a charge as the battle cry of those ready to die for humanity followed me into oblivion.

_I hope your ready Sparhawkes, we will only have one shot…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive thank you for the kudos, bookmarks and subscriptions! You guys are the best!  
> Also just for a heads up, after next week updates may be a lot slower as I started Nursing at university! I am by no means abandoning the fic and have big plans coming for the next books, so please bear with!  
> As always, I love hearing from people especially if anyone has any theories on the Sparhawkes or where the story is going, I live for that shit :D


	24. Battle Lines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle for Eren continues...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos! As always I deeply appreciate them :D

AURORA

I pushed the horse beneath me harder than I had ever pushed Kano because right there, up upon Reiner's Titan, strapped to Bertolt's back, was the one I had sworn to be there for no matter what, that I had vowed to protect and no Titan, armoured or not, was going to stop me from just doing that.

_Hold on, Eren! We're coming!_

Guiding the beast as close as possible to Reiner's leg, avoiding the earth thrown up in the Armoured Titans wake, I unhooked my feet from my stirrups and pushed myself to stand upon my saddle, blades drawn and ready as I looked for my opening.

"HE'S MOVING TOO FAST!" Rian called out in warning as he rode beside Reiner's calf and attempted to hack the Achilles heel, his blades shattering in the process, "AURORA YOU WON'T MAKE IT!"

_Yes, I will... I have too...._

"COVER ME!" I shouted before throwing my grapples up and engaged my ODM gear, eyes fixed on Eren as he jerked his head frantically in warning when suddenly the air beside me began to shift and instinctively spinning, Ymir's Titan arm swung beneath my body as she attempted to swat me out of the sky, narrowly missing by a hair's breadth. 

_Oh, that was a mistake._

Pulling my grapples back, I used my gas to change course before I propelled myself towards the stunned Ymir who clearly didn't expect me to correct myself so quickly and snarling, I slashed my blade across her eye, taking the appendage with me as a warning as she screamed in agony, clutching the steaming socket where here eye had been mere seconds ago. 

_Stay the fuck down, or I will end you!_

Twisting my body back around, sights set on my original purpose, I met Bertolt's fear-stricken face as he watched me come around and with eyes of burning hatred, I grappled towards him, blade raised and ready, to take his treacherous head clean off this time.

_No more fucking around, he dies here and now!_

"REINER PROTECT US!" Bertolt cried as he ducked and narrowly avoided my killing blow before running like the coward he was toward Reiner's neck column and giving chase to end this once and for all, I was forced back when Reiner's armoured hands locked down around his neck protecting Bertolt within as he stared out through the gaps in Reiner's giant fingers with the eyes of prey startled by a predator.

"GIVE HIM BACK!" I screamed as I attempted to drive my blade through Reiner's hand, but it was no use, the only thing I achieved was breaking a perfectly good blade and as the metal fractured off it flew back and cut the side of my face, but I barely felt the sting or the hot blood rolling down my face because all I could hear was Eren's muffled screams of rage as he struggled against his captors.

_He is so close and yet I cannot get to him!_

"AURORA!" Mikasa's voice broke through my tunnel vision and twisting around, my heart clenched in horror as I watched her grapple her line too close to Ymir who swung her arm up ready to swipe Mikasa out of existence. 

_NO!_

"MIKASA! LOOK OUT!" I cried as I ran over Reiner's shoulder to cut Ymir down when the Titaness swung her arm out, but instead of hitting Mikasa like I thought she would, she swatted at thin air as moments before a flash of green had sailed passed as Rian collided with Mikasa, knocking them both onto Reiner's shoulder and out of harm's way. 

_Fine! You want to die so badly Ymir, then have it your way!_

"ALRIGHT THEN," I snarled as I engaged my ODM gear and flung myself at Ymir's nape ready to make good on my word, "YMIR GOES FIRST!"

"AURORA!" Historia screamed as she suddenly popped up with hands held out, defending Ymir's nape and blocking my assault path, "NO!"

Growling in frustration, I swung myself back and grappled onto the back of Reiner's head before glaring down at Historia with the wrath of hell itself for daring to get in my way. Did she or did she not see Ymir try to take me down? Yet, I was merciful, I only took her eye, but then she tried to kill Mikasa and that sealed her fate, so why was Historia getting in me way?!

_Whose side is she on?!_

"YOU'RE NOT GOING KILL YMIR!" Historia cried out pathetically, and I felt my temper which was already sky-high, rocket even further at the audacity of her words.

"I ABSOLUTELY WILL IF SHE FIGHTS FOR THEM!" I snarled, every word a solemn vow "SHE CAN EITHER STEP ASIDE OR DIE! HER CHOICE!"

"THAT'S NOT FAIR, SHE WILL DIE IF SHE DOESN'T GO ALONG WITH WHAT REINER AND BERTOLT TELL HER TO DO!" Historia attempted to reason with wide tearful eyes that did absolutely nothing for me, I didn't care if they would kill her, I didn't care if she was forced, a strong enough person would have told them to go to hell regardless of their threats rather than carry out their evil for the sake of living another day.

_There are some fates much worse than dying..._

"I DON'T CARE! THERE IS ONLY SO MANY PEOPLE THAT I GIVE A SHIT ABOUT AND SHE AINT ONE OF THEM!" I snapped, unable to hear the bullshit any longer and yet for some reason unbeknown I stayed my blade, "CRUEL I KNOW, BUT THAT'S THE WORLD THESE FUCKERS GAVE US SIX YEARS AGO!"

"AURORA PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!" Historia pleaded for the traitor's life, and the desperation in her voice cut straight through my anger, she was in love with Ymir, she was doing all she could to protect the one she loved just like I was. I didn't care about Ymir, that bitch had watched from the tower as the people who had protected her were eaten alive, and it was only when Historia had been in danger had she thought to transform but looking down at Historia's eyes, so desperate with the need to protect, I couldn't help but see myself in them, and I felt my heart break.

_Look what they have turned us into... turning on each other like animals...killing for survival..._

"I DON'T HAVE ANY HEART LEFT TO BLEED FOR YOU!" I lied because as much as I didn't want to be the one to tear her world apart, I meant what I said, if Ymir threatened Eren's future then I would be taking hers, "NOT FOR THAT BITCH! SHE WATCHED OUR COMRADES DIE, AND SHE DID NOTHING WHEN SHE HAD THE POWER TO STOP IT! YOU WANT COMPASSION, YOU WANT ME TO BE FAIR, TOUGH SHIT, SHE EITHER GETS OUT OF OUR WAY OR SHE DIES! TIMES WASTING, PICK YOUR SIDE HISTORIA! EREN, OR THE _TITAN_ I'M GONNA KILL."

Willing to test my resolve, Ymir reared back to take a swipe at me and I pushed my empathy aside, resigned to take her life when Historia began slamming her fist into Ymir's head making the Titan pause and look at her through her remaining eye.

"YMIR STOP! LOOK AT HER FACE! SHE MEANS IT! DON'T MAKE A MOVE!" Historia ordered and turning her one eye to look at my deathly cold expression, Ymir lowered her head in submission and letting out a breath I had realised I had been holding, I climbed upon Reiner's head and left Historia to her Titan to return to getting my brother back with a feeling of reservation.

_Did I just make a mistake in letting her live?_

"Rian! Mikasa!" I called out as I slid down Reiner's face and landed on top of his locked hands where Rian and Mikasa were frantically searching for a chink in Reiner's armour.

"He's trapped inside!" Rian growled in frustration as he attempted to use physical strength to pry Reiner's fingers open to no avail.

"GIVE HIM BACK!" Mikasa stormed as she beat her fist against Reiner's armour, her eyes boring into the gap between his fingers were Bertolt was peering out when suddenly multiple grapples buried all around and Armin, Jean, Connie and Sasha followed, landing around us, their faces varying in the levels of betrayal they felt and hearing the sound of his friends and family on the other side of Reiner's fingers, Eren's muffled cries of anger began to increase as he fought back against his captors.

_Thata boy Eren! You keep fighting because I swear we're not leaving without you!_

"Quit struggling!" Bertolt complained after a grunt of pain, "It's not going to help!"

"Good luck talking sense into that one Bertolt, when something lights a fire under him that's it." Rian half laughed as he pushed Mikasa aside so he could peer through the gap between Reiner's fingers, "Believe me, I would know, I practically helped raise him."

_What is he doing?! Why is he talking to him?! We should be focusing on getting Eren out!_

"Yeah trying to get Eren to calm down is a lost cause, take my word for it. I've been on the receiving end more than you have." Jean joined in and staring down in disbelief, I met his pointed gaze and understanding dawned on me, "What do you say we teach him patience? Come on, show yourself."

_They're trying to lure him out without using violence... noble... but it's not going to work..._

"GIVE HIM BACK! RIGHT NOW!" Mikasa demanded making Rian shake his head in frustration, so sliding down Reiner's arm, I pulled Mikasa back to allow Rian to play out his plan but not before giving Rian a look to tell him how stupid I thought this plan was. 

_This is wasting time._

"Guys really?" Connie whimpered, his face twisted in emotion, "This is some kind of joke, right? You've been lying to us this whole time?... We were supposed to be comrades."

_They don't care Connie... they never did... that's why they watched people die when they could have saved them... that's why they destroyed the walls..._

"They still are!" Sasha defended much to my annoyance, "This is all just a misunderstanding."

_Yes, they killed thousands of people because of a **misunderstanding**... then went on to kill more in another **misunderstanding**... What was wrong with them? Couldn't they see them for what they were?_

"Where do you think you're going? You can't keep running forever, we aren't going to let that happen. Rat bastards!" Jean spat, his anger mirroring my own and I watched the emotion play across his face as he glared at Reiner's hands, "Through thick and thin we slept under the same roof as soldiers for three years. As a matter of fact, the positions you could sleep in were an artform Bertolt, I'm not kidding! We used to love waking up in the morning seeing the contortions you got yourself in, we used to predict the weather with them-" Jean broke off in a quiet sob as he shook his head in anguish, and meeting his eyes I saw the turmoil within, "How did you do it Bertolt? Mustn't have had a care in the world, lying beside your victims, yet you slept like a log-"

_They never saw us as people, did they? As thinking, feeling beings that deserved to live without fear..._

"Was it all just an act?! What about the way we used to talk about surviving this together? About growing old and looking back on the worst of it over drinks? Go on, tell me! What was the point?What were you trying to do?" Connie continued on, his voice wavering with the hurt he was feeling and hearing no response from the monster himself at hearing his so-called friends' anguish, I lost the last of my patience and decided it was time to for them all to wake the fuck up.

"This isn't a fairy-tale where we all live happily ever after!" I snapped and Armin, Jean, Sasha, Connie and even Rian turned to look at me with dismay leaving Mikasa the only one out them still seeing sense, we couldn't reason with men who had taken on the responsibility of annihilating Mankind, "These bastards killed thousands, infiltrated our ranks and continued on to kill hundreds more, that isn't a _misunderstanding_! It's a declaration of _war_! They killed innocent men, women and children and they will sure as hell kill you if given half the chance, so stop talking to them as if they're your friends, they are not! This isn't a game or some sick joke, this is life and death, and there is only one outcome here, either they die, or we do! That's the _choice_ they made when they destroyed the walls, now you need to do the same, it's them or us!"

"NO! YOUR WRONG!" Bertolt cried out, finally breaking his silence and my eyes widened at the depth of pain lacing his voice, "WHO CHOSES TO BE THIS! TELL ME! WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM, HUH!? WHAT?! DO YOU THINK THIS IS WHAT WE ASPIRE TO BE!?"

"People loathe us, and why wouldn't they. Were _monsters_. We deserve to die for things we've done... we could live a thousand years and never know peace... try to imagine that darkness, the only light was our brief time as soldiers." Bertolt lamented, and despite hating him with every fibre of my being for what he had taken from me, I found myself sympathising with him because I knew of the darkness he spoke of, the darkness that tainted the soul after taking a human life, the darkness that prevented you from ever truly being whole again, "It was never a lie! Do you understand!? We are not who we said we were! But it wasn't an act! We genuinely thought of you as our friends. I'm not stupid, I know I have no right to ask for forgiveness but... _please_... I beg of you, if we were comrades, someone find us!"

"Then come with us!" Rian pleaded, and my eyes began to sting as I watched my brother put his hatred aside and offer the branch of peace, something I could never do, "Turn around, head back to Rose! Work with us to put this right, earn that forgiveness by saving countless of innocents. All you have you do is stop and come back with us. I promise I will protect you; I will _forgive_ you, but first, you need to end this."

_Even now he's offering forgiveness... he truly is the best of humanity._

"If we go back, we're lost." Bertolt sobbed and reaching out his hand, Rian placed his fingers on the gap between Reiner's fingers and brought his face closer to speak to Bertolt softly, eyes full of pleading.

"Give him back to me," Rian asked quietly, and my hands began to shake because despite my brother's kindness and sincerity, I knew what the answer would be, " _Please_ , Bertolt."

"I'm sorry I can't." Bertolt sniffed as a hard edge underlined his tone and recoiling in shock, Rian's eyes widened in horror, "One of you has to do it. One of you has to stain your hands with my blood."

_So be it._

Rising to my full height, I levelled my blade with the gap in-between Reiner's fingers unbeknown to Bertolt sobbing within and meeting Rian's tear-filled eyes, I watched as he came to understand what needed to be done. Nodding, my brother stepped aside to allow me to deliver what should be a killing blow when suddenly my entire body began to spasm in an onslaught I had never felt before.

_I...don't...They... everywhere... too many..._

"Aurora?!" Jean called out as he caught me after my knees buckled before he twisted around to look at Rian who too had doubled over in pain, understanding dawning on his paling features as he turned to look ahead of us.

"Guys get down from there and take cover!" Hannes' voice sounded from the ground bellow, "The lunatic is leading them straight for us! Jump damn you! Get the hell out of there!"

Strong arms circled around my waist and before I could even understand what was going on Jean jumped from Reiner's Titan, with me in tow, and turning in the cage that was his arms my eyes widened in horror-struck awe as Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps, led a horde of Titans straight toward us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the Kudos! As always they are deeply appreciated :3 :D  
> Also this was one of my favourite moments to write about because, personally, I think this is the defining moment in seeing how different the twins are from one another, essentially their core values are the same but the means on which to achieve their goals are so different. Rian in my mind is essentially a peacemaker, he is a soldier but I don't believe he is cut out for war, Aurora on the other hand, I see her as all fire and temper and though she may not want to do what she has to do, she will if she sees the goal it will achieve, debating the morality of her actions later.  
> What do you guys think?


	25. The Charge of the Survey Corps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter- violence through out-

AURORA 

Landing on Jean's horse with a thump, I broke free from the young man's arms and slung myself behind him as literal hell ensued and riding away with as much speed as his horse could muster with two rider's, Jean and I stared in horror as a seemingly endless army of Titans descending upon us, ready to devour us all.

_Oh god..._

"Squadrons break! Make the Titans scatter!" Commander Erwin boomed, and following his lead, the Scouts meandered around the Armoured Titan like a river does a rock before scattering in all directions, leaving the armoured Titan and Ymir to contend with the horde as they dove on top of them, teeth snapping hungrily for their flesh. 

_Erwin intended **this**?!_

"Is this hell..." Jean muttered, his eyes transfixed on Reiner as he struggled to keep his hands locked around his neck, protecting Bertolt and Eren, while fighting against the hold the many Titans now had him in.

_If those hands fall, Eren will be eaten!_

"Not yet! But it will be!" Commander Erwin promised with a grim smile as he rode up beside us before raising his blade high in the sky, "WE'VE COME TO THE MOMENT OF TRUTH! MANKIND'S FATE IS DECIDED NOW! THERE IS NO FUTURE FOR THESE LANDS IN WHICH WE DO NOT RECLAIM EREN, AND THERE NEVER WILL BE! GO RECOVER EREN AND RETREAT! YOUR HEART AND SOUL TO THE CAUSE! ALL SOLDIERS CHARGE!"

The answering war cry sent shivers down my spine and raising my own blade alongside Jean, I answered the call because Erwin was right, this was the fight for mankind, this was where we made our stand and spotting a free horse running nearby, I whistled for the beast to come before engaging my ODM gear and landing on its back to ride into the jaws of hell.

"AURORA! WAIT FOR-" Jean cried as I pushed my horse past him before he broke off and began screaming at another who too threw her life into the fray, ready to do what needed to be done, "HEY! MIKASA! STOP!" 

_There is no turning back now..._

Leading the charge, I rode with fury, Mikasa at my side, as I weaved and ducked under giant legs and reaching hands until my goal, who was beginning to break under the strain the Titans had placed on him, was in sight and the screams of men filled the evening air as they battled against our mortal enemy.

_Everything we have done... everything we are.... it has all been for this very moment..._

"It's working!" Mikasa cried as Reiner's hands finally lowered to reveal Bertolt and a struggling Eren as he continued to fight on, "His hands are down!"

"That's all we need!" I exclaimed, guiding my horse beneath another groping Titan's hands before looking for an opening, we had to make it to Eren before the Titans did, failure wasn't an option. 

"You can see those Titans, right!?" Jean cried out in warning as he rode beside me and forced my horse on a longer path as a Titan fell before us, "I get it, your strong! But that is one hell of a mess!"

"Then stay out of our way!" I snapped as I brought my horse around before turning in my saddle to find Mikasa or Rian, whichever was closer and met Mikasa's steely grey eyes, "You with me!?"

"Always!" Mikasa avowed when suddenly a Titan dove above us, its jaws wide and ready, and ducking to avoid being caught in its assault I heard the screams of our comrades as the Titan found its mark.

"COMMANDER ERWIN!" Rian screamed and turning back, my eyes widened at the sight of the Commander being pulled around high in the air like a doll by his arm which was in the jaws of the jumping Titan, his blood cascading like rain upon those who rode nearby and I felt myself faltering at the image of our falling leader.

_No no no no... we need him! ... We need him to take back our home!_

"I SAID ADVANCE GODDAMNIT!" Erwin roared, his free arm with a blade in hand pointing forward to remind us all what was at stake, "EREN IS RIGHT INFRONT OF YOU! DO NOT FALTER!"

 _I promise you we are going to make their sacrifices count... he had said that...._

Spurred on by his sacrifice, I kicked into my horse and pushed that final few meters before engaging my ODM gear and rocketing myself up into the air at the same time as Mikasa, however, she was faster and moving in straight for the kill, she brought her blades down on Bertolt who somehow managed to block her assault with his own blades before forcing her back into the air, where a Titan lay ready and waiting to snatch her for himself.

_NO NO NO NO!_

"MIKASA!" I cried as I attempted to redirect my course, but I was too late as the Titan grabbed her mid-air and with tears spring to my eyes as I called out for Mikasa as her screams of agony tore through the air knowing I would never make it before the monster crushed her.

_Please... I'll give anything... please don't let her die..._

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" a voice suddenly roared as if in answer to my prayer and watching with relief and pride, I saw Rian bring his blades down hard on the Titan's arm, cutting the limb clean off before he swung around and caught Mikasa before she could fall, carrying them both away as I landed on Reiner's shoulder behind an unaware Bertolt whose entire body was trembling.

"We've come too far to give up now," Bertolt affirmed, a hard edge to his voice I had never heard before and readying my blades I prepared myself to strike, "We're are going home! And Eren is coming with us!"

_Over my dead body!_

"BERTOLT!" Armin's voice rang out with clear challenge and hesitating, my eyes found the boy in question as he hung from Reiner's head, a creepy look on his face, giving him a clear view of Bertolt, Eren and me as I crouched ready to spring and I knew then exactly what he was trying to do.

_He's giving me the perfect opening, to strike while Bertolt is focused on him._

"So, you're okay with this?" Armin questioned with a sinister expression and turning my sights to Bertolt, I met Eren's wide, hopeful eyes as I crept forward, "Leaving your friend behind to face the music? I guess Annie was weighing you down? Do you know where she is? Way up north in the utopia district, being _tortured_. The silent treatment only goes so far, the body may heal, but her screams are an object lesson on the limits of endurance."

_Shit, Armin! Are you trying to get him to kill you!?_

"Your lying!" Bertolt spat as he twisted to point his blade at Armin threateningly and turning Eren straight into my kill path which was problematic. Bertolt was a shifter, and after seeing Ymir heal what should have absolutely killed her, I couldn't take any chances, if I wanted him dead, I had to cut his head off but if I did that there was I good chance I would harm Eren.

_Fuck sake! Why can't anything ever be fucking simple!?_

"He isn't," I snapped and Bertolt shot back around to point his shaking blades at me and throwing Armin a scathing look to let him know he fucked this up big style, I moved slowly up Reiner's shoulder, so I was just above Bertolt, giving me the high ground, "I cut her down myself. I guess she learned the hard way why she shouldn't have let me live like Reiner asked her too."

"Don't worry, they won't kill her, not yet anyway. They are taking very special care that she doesn't die. Or get a moment's rest," Armin added and Bertolt's head snapped frantically back and forth as he lost his composure, unsure which of us to face, "So many methods, so little time, mustn't waste a prize specimen like Annie, she's too precious."

Rage took over Bertolt's face at Armin's dark words, and sensing my moment was coming sooner rather than later I began to hunch down, ready to push off to dive straight for the big bastard and meeting Eren's eyes once more, I watched with pride as he tilted his head as far to the side as he could, giving me a better opening than what I had before.

_Whatever you do Eren, don't move your head..._

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH HELLSPAWN! ILL KILL YOU!" Bertolt bellowed as he swung his blade out to strike Armin down with his body twisted at the perfect angle and jumping from my perch I moved to bring my blade across his neck but before I could make the killing blow, silver flashed across Bertolt's chest as a battle cry from a one-armed Erwin, who had managed against all the odds to survive and free himself from that Titan, cut the ties binding Eren, allowing him to fall free.

_Free to fall to his death!_

Diving straight after him, I used my gas to assist gravity until I passed Eren as he screamed and throwing out a grapple, I swung my body and collided with him, wrapping my free arm and legs around him with a cry of relief at finally having him back with me.

"I've got him!" I hollered to the remaining Scouts and swinging out of the Titans path, I spotted Mikasa riding with another horse in tow. Disengaging my grapple, I allowed gravity to do the rest before depositing Eren in Mikasa's waiting arms and landed on the back of the free horse beside them as she cried out with equal parts relief and love when suddenly a primal Titan scream ripped through the air letting us know this was far from over.

* * *

RIAN 

"All soldiers retreat!" the commander ordered as I drove my blade through the nape of a Titan that was pursuing Aurora and Eren as they sailed through the air, and not waiting to be told twice, I disengaged my gear and landed on my horse below before kicking him into full speed, following the burning red hair of my sister like a beacon leading me home.

_We did it! We took Eren back!_

"Get away from her!" Connie suddenly screamed as I rode past him, and turning my head to peer behind me, I saw the younger man struggling with Historia who was half on his horse as he tried to ride away with her, Ymir hot on their heels.

_Fuck that!_

Pulling my horse to come around the side of Connie's horse, I reached down and dragged Historia onto Connie's horse whether she liked it or not before I twisted myself around in my saddle and threw my blade, unclipping in the process and hurtling it towards Ymir who narrowly missed having her regenerated eye taken out again as she ducked and backed away, taking the hint to back the hell off. 

_Good, now scurry off back to your pals!_

"NO! STOP IT!" Historia screamed as she kicked her leg out towards me and having had enough of her shit, I shoved her leg aside before slapping the back off Connie's horse to make it go faster.

"What the hell are you trying to pull!?" I snarled as I kicked my horse faster and led us all to catch up to Aurora, who was at the head of the unit.

"You don't understand!" Historia cried as she struggled with Connie's hold on her, "Put me down! Reiner and Bertolt are going to kill Ymir unless we agree to go back with them! She will be free is she hands me over, I already decided to let that happen."

_That isn't her decision to make! We need answers, and she is the only way we can get them!_

"No!" I ordered, not willing to let the only chance of us finding out what is really going on slip through our fingers because she naively believed she was saving her friend, "Connie keep a hold on her!"

"But Rian-"

"I said no, Historia!" I commanded, now was really not the time to be playing the martyr, especially when we didn't know for a fact that Ymir was telling the truth, "We're retreating and we're all going together! That's final!"

" _Please_! She will die!" Historia begged, and I found myself not quite believing she was stupid enough to believe Ymir would sacrifice her like that, after all, you had to be blind to have not seen the way Ymir looked at Historia, it was the same way Levi looked at Aurora when he thought nobody was looking, all brooding awe. 

_There is no way Ymir would actually give Historia up, not even if they did threaten her like Historia says they did... no, there is something else going on here, I can feel it._

"Use your head! Why would someone who fought for you turn you over to the enemy? What's the end game? The only time she makes an effort is for you, I could see that much in your training never mind what's happened here." I reasoned when it suddenly dawned on me that the sun was setting to the right of us when it should be dead ahead, "I don't know what's going on with her, but we can't stay here, whatever she needs you for it won't be worth it if your dead, so calm the fuck down and stay on Connie's horse!" I ordered before I kicked my horse faster, to catch up to the front because, in her haste to lead us away from the Titans behind us, Aurora, who had taken up the helm in Erwin's place, was pointing us in the opposite direction from Wall Rose and deeper into Titan country.

_Aw shit!_

"Aurora! You're leading them the wrong way!" I called out as I passed by Jean and Armin, who was just behind Mikasa and Eren when suddenly Aurora spun around in her saddle and started screaming with her hand frantically jabbing in the air. 

_What the hell-_

My insides pulled hard and turning in disbelief, I stared in horror as a Titan flew through the air before crashing into the earth, far too close for comfort, throwing up a cloud of dust in its wake. Squinting through the hazy sky as my lungs filled with dirt, I managed to make out the towering figure of the Armoured Titan as he straightened himself up from his bowler's stance and my heart began to pick up speed as it dawned on me what the bastard was actually doing.

_Is he insane?! He's throwing the fucking Titans!_

"He's tossing Titans now! That son of a bitch has gone berserk!" Jean stormed as he pulled his horse away from the Titan that Reiner had thrown as it rose to its feet in a daze and pushing my horse faster, I rode past the monster determined to reach my sister now more than ever.

_Throwing Titans?! Really?! What is Reiner doing?! Doesn't he care if Eren is eaten?! I thought this was all about him?! What is he trying to accomplish by-_

"RIAN!" Aurora screamed like I had never heard her scream before and turning my head towards the sound of her voice, everything seemed to slow and sharpen as I watched in confusion as she rode towards me, hair breaking loose and blowing in the wind, fear twisting her blood-stained face as she reached her hand out towards and that's when I felt it, that familiar yet haunting feeling that I had felt so many times before, and suddenly all light seemed to disappear, plunging the world into night as a shadow descended upon me.

*******

_It was almost midnight, and the sky was surprisingly clear considering we were nearing the winter solstice and shuffling my way up to the Yaeger courtyard, I found the exact person I was looking for as she lay on a blanket, her wild red hair fanned out and framing her face as it shone ivory in the pale moonlight._

**_She's growing more beautiful by the day..._ **

_"How did I know you would be up here?" I called out sarcastically as I climbed the remainder of the stairs before coming to stand above Aurora with a single eyebrow raised, "You could catch your death in this cold you know, and that would really piss off Grandfather."_

_"Winter is the best time to see my favourite ones." Aurora hummed as she looked up at the stars before a mischievous grin spread across her full lips and quickly sitting up, she grasped my hand in hers and pulled me down to the ground beside her, "Come, I'll show you!"_

_Shaking my head with a smile, I lay out on the cold blanket and held out my arms waiting and smiling like a child in a sweet shop, my sister scooted over beside me before she tucked herself into my side, stealing my warmth, with her head rested between my chest and shoulder._

_"They are beautiful, aren't they?" Aurora whispered, her voice full of wonder as she pulled on my hand and guided my fingers over a line of stars in the sky, "I think that one looks like a cooking pan."_

" _Huh" I muttered confusion before the celestial drawing jumped out and I chuckled at the ridiculousness of it, "Oh yeah. I see it. A big ass saucepan. Do you think that's what God cooks his broth in?"_

_Scoffing, Aurora elbowed me in the ribs playfully, making me wince, and retaliating as any brother should, I began to tickle her until she began to giggle like the little girl she was fast growing out until her breath came out in pants._

_"Stop it! We're gonna miss the comet!" Aurora laughed and seeing my puzzled expression at her use of the word 'Comet', she shook her head fondly as she lay back down, "Grisha told me that a shooting star of sorts is coming by tonight, he called it a comet. I don't know what he means by that, it was just what he mentioned this morning."_

_"He probably read it in a book or something," I mused as I played with my sisters' hair, "He has a tonne in the cellar."_

_"That he does." Aurora laughed softly before pointing to another set of brightly lit stars with a broad smile on her face, "That one looks like a man holding a bow."_

_Following her fingers, I looked on in soft awe, my eyes tracing the shape of a man with a three-starred belt, who did appear at first to be holding a bow but after a few seconds more of observation, I decided he was wielding a far mightier weapon._

_"It's a blade." I smiled to myself as I traced the silvery line in the night sky, I much preferred the idea of a blade, the military used them to take on the Titans, to cut them down. Blades were Humanities sword, quite literally and if I had my way then I would be their wielder one day too._

**_A defender of humanity... A hero.._ ** _._

_"I heard you and Eren talking the other day", Aurora informed me with a hint of accusation in her tone as she twisted her head from its pillow on my chest and levelled me with her mismatched grey and green eyes, judgement heavy behind the contrasting irises._

" _Don't look at me like that", I warned, not interested in hearing her condemnation of my chosen path or Eren's for that matter, she had no right._

_"Like what?" Aurora frowned as she narrowed her eyes in scrutiny, and I shook my head in irritation._

_**So we're doing this then.** _

_"Like I'm an idiot for wanting a future for myself, for wanting a chance to do something meaningful with my life!" I bit a little too harshly, and I cringed when I felt Aurora's body stiffen in apprehension, it was never my intention to frighten her._

**_I'm not our Grandfather... I never want her to be afraid of me..._ **

_"It may cost you your life." Aurora argued gently as she rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself onto her elbows so she could meet my eyes with her own, concern pulling at her pale and angular features, "And Eren's for that matter."_

**_She doesn't understand... Grisha has her future mapped out to follow in his footsteps, but I have nothing... will be nothing..._ **

_"Then it costs me my life! And by the time Eren is old enough to join, he can make his own decision on the matter." I defended as I turned my head away, unwilling to face the worry in her eyes and stared back at the stars, "I know you don't understand, but I want to be able to say I did something with my life, I want to be able to say that I was a soldier that fought for our right to live without fear, I want to be able to say that I was_ **_somebody_ ** _."_

_Silence fell then except for the soft breaths that left both our lips smoking in the winter air that now lay heavy with the implication of_ _my words._

**_I hadn't meant to say that much..._ **

_"Rian, look at me." Aurora coaxed from her position on her elbows before grasping my chin gently to make me look at her and peering down into my face with eyes shining with love and adoration, she chose to gaze at me_ _instead of her comet that was now lighting up the night sky in a wonderous display, "You're somebody to_ ** _me_** _."_

**********

 _You're somebody to me...Strange the things we remember in the end_...

"Aurora....sister..." I whispered, my arm reaching back to her of its own accord with a smile pulling at my lips for the last time and meeting her terrified yet beautiful eyes, I poured all of my love, pain, anger, joy and hope into one final wish, " _Live._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos guys!  
> Also legit crying over this chapter, even though it was always planned from the start... my poor poor baby... #thisauthorisnotokay #goingtocryinthecornerforalittlewhile


	26. Power Resides in the Blood

EREN 

"RIAN!!" Aurora's horrified scream filled the air and twisting back from my position across Mikasa's horse I began to wail around my gag as my eyes fell on Aurora and Rian, both mere meters behind us with their arms outstretched to each other in a parting gestures of love and desperation as a dark shadow engulfed them.

 _No... please... not for me... not for me.._.

"NO!!" Mikasa cried as she tried to turn her horse around, but it was too late, and feeling my heart shatter into a million tiny pieces, I screamed as a Titan landed where the shadow had fallen sending up a force of earth and wind that flung us from our horse and crashing to the ground. 

_NO!_

Rolling to a stop on the hard-unyielding earth, I lay motionless, staring up at the sky unable to believe what I had just witnessed, that I had just seen the two people who had been a constant in my life from the moment I open my eyes into this cold, crushed beneath a Titan as if they meant nothing at all. No, it wasn't right, it couldn't be, I refused to believe it, I mean, how could they? They were the strongest of us all, they were always there, always fighting for me. They weren't dead, they weren't...

_Then why does it feel like I can't breathe…._

"EREN! MIKASA!" Armin's voice called out in the distance, but I still couldn't find it within myself to move, not with this crushing feel weighing down on my chest. This was all my fault, if I hadn't have been so weak, I could have stopped myself from being kidnapped, but I was too focused on my visions of Aurora dying to see the more immediate danger, too focus on trying to prevent what could have happened to stop what did happen and now she was gone.

_I failed her... I failed them both..._

Pained whimpers broke through my agony and recognising the voice they belonged to, I made myself roll onto my stomach, and despite my arms being bound, I forced myself across the grass towards Mikasa where she was crawling on all fours, tears dripping from her face as she cried out for what we both had lost.

She had never looked so broken, not even after her parents were killed and watching as she struggled to crawl those last few meters towards me, my heart fluttered in my chest because even now, after losing everything, she was still fighting, still pushing forward because what else was there left for her to do but to keep on going.

_Why isn't she giving up? Hasn't she had enough?_

A strange feeling began to morph in with the pain, a feeling I had felt a handful of times before, like when I had learned I had tried to kill Mikasa in my Titan form; when I had seen her again after joining the scouts, when I had opened my eyes after the battle in Stohess and she was sat sleeping by my bed with her scarf in hand, when she had flung herself at Reiner and Bertolt to save me and when I had seen her sailing above me after she had cut Reiner's leg. Yeah, I had felt it all those times too, I just I didn't have a name for it, all I knew was that when I felt it my heart beat differently and my vision would focus in on her, that I wanted... I _wanted_.

It was a far cry from the usual feelings I usually held, mostly I had always been jealous of how strong Mikasa was, and yet that jealously had never extended to Auro- to _them_ , I had thought it was because of how overprotective she could be but now watching her struggle to reach me, amongst all this chaos and death, I realised it wasn't because she was overprotective, no, it was because I wasn't strong enough to protect _her_.

_I don't understand... why? Why is that causing me to feel like this?_

"Eren..." Mikasa whimpered as she closed the gap between us and reaching down to my face, she pulled the gag free, allowing me to speak but I had no words to say as I stared into her red-rimmed eyes, none at all. 

_I can't..._

A shadow descendent down upon us, pulling all the heat from the world and turning to peer into the late evening mist, my mouth fell open as the monster who tore my world apart lumbered its way towards us through the fog, a nightmare made flesh, with its chilling smile exactly as it was the day it had sunk its teeth into my mother, pulling at its twisted face as it gazed down at us hungrily.

_I don't... I … mother..._

"Get down!" Mikasa screamed as she threw her body over me, shielding me once again as she had done for half her life, as the Smiling Titan reached out its long, grotesque fingers to finish what it failed to do all those years ago when suddenly those reaching fingers were blocked by a grunting soldier's blades and pushing back with all his strength, Hannes swiped his blades down and cut the smiling Titan's thumb off, causing the monster to rear back and reassess its prey.

_What is he doing?! Is he trying to get himself killed!?_

"Are you insane!" I cursed as I struggled to break the binding behind my back and turning to look down at Mikasa and me with a crazed look in his watery eyes, Hannes smiled like a maniac, and I knew he had seen Aurora and Rian fall just like we had, he had seen and had lost his mind.

"Can you believe this luck! Crazy right!" Hannes laughed psychotically as he focused his entire attention on the Smiling Titan, looking for a way to direct his grief, "Watch me! This is the least that I owe your mother! She will finally have the vengeance she deserves!"

Laughing to himself as tears fell from his eyes, Hannes shot out his grapples and pierced the flesh of the Smiling Titan before throwing himself towards it with an ear-deafening roar, and my bottom lip trembled as my heart began to hammer against my chest when the unsheathing of a blade drew my attention to Mikasa as she stumbled her way forward to help Hannes.

_No... not her too... I can't watch her die for me! Not when I have the power to stop it!_

"Mikasa! Stop! You can't fight!" I yelled to Mikasa as I struggled even more against the restraints, and looking down at me with uncertainty, she began to shake her head as more tears fell down her face leaving streak marks in their wake, "Untie me instead!"

 _Please... don't take this from me... I have to do_ **_something_ ** _!_

"No! We have to get you out of here!" Mikasa sobbed, her hands shaking as she struggled to lift her blades, face contorted in pain.

"I have to be the one to kill that thing! I have to be the one to make this right!" I begged, and I saw her resolve begin to crack, "Please Mikasa! I cant-" I broke off as the ground thundered again with the impact of another Titan and dropping back down to my side, Mikasa began hacking away at my bindings when another scream filled the air, louder than all the rest.

"JEAN!" Armin wailed with such horror that both Mikasa and I turned to see Armin dragging Jean's limp body across the ground as a Titan pursued them, eyes bright with the meal before it, "STAY AWAY! GET BACK! OH GOD STAY WITH ME JEAN!"

_No... they are all going to die..._

A boiling fury swelled inside me, hotter and brighter than any before and forcing my hands free from the last of my bindings, I pulled my almost healed hand to my face and sank my teeth deep into the steaming flesh to bring about vengeance, but nothing happened, nothing except the sharp burning that came from forcing bone through tender flesh.

_No, no, no, no!_

Growling in desperation, I drove my teeth into my flesh again and again and again but still nothing happened, and pulling back my bloody limb I screamed in frustration before bringing my other hand up to try again, hoping against hope that this time it would work.

_Please!_

"DON'T DO THIS!" I bawled before tearing chunks of flesh from my wrist, my eyes stinging as steam rose into them, "NOT NOW!"

"Eren stop!" Mikasa cried as she clutched my hand in hers and rove it away from my teeth when Hannes abruptly screamed, and ice flooded my chest because that wasn't the scream of a soldier in battle, no that was something far worse. 

Turning to the sound of a dying man, I met Hannes' bulging eyes as he struggled in the grip of the Smiling Titan, just like my mother had, and following in her footsteps The Smiling Titan lifted a man I had known my whole life to its lips and sank its teeth deep into his gut, sending his blood cascading down on the ever-green grass below. 

_Hannes..._

Savouring its meal, the Smiling Titan slowly stuffed Hannes' lifeless body into its foul jaws before it threw its head back to swallow what was left and I felt something inside me snap as hysterical laughter sprung from my lips at the absurdity of history repeating itself once again and just like before, I could do nothing but watch as others died in my place.

"LOOK AT YOU! YOU HAVEN'T GROWN UP ONE GODDAMN BIT! YOUR STILL AS USELESS AS YOU'VE EVER BEEN! RIANS GONE! AURORA'S GONE! HANNES IS GONE! THEY ARE ALL GONE! JUST LIKE MY MOM! I COULDN'T SAVE THEM! NOTHINGS CHANGED!" I shrieked as I pounded my steaming fists into the ground, and the images of everyone I had ever lost took over my mind, their eyes staring at me in accusation until eventually, they all morphed into my mother, "I'm sorry mother... I still can't do anything... No matter how hard I try, I'm still just a worthless little kid..."

_They all died for nothing... I'm not special... I'm worthless..._

"Eren, stop" Mikasa coaxed gently, her hands pulling at my shoulders to force me to meet her loving gaze, "That isn't true."

My breath caught in my throat as light filtered through the mist and shone on Mikasa's sweet smile, so out of place in all this chaos, and I couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked then with her midnight hair swaying in the wind as the thundering of the Smiling Titan's feet drew ever closer.

"Thank you, I've been meaning to tell you that. For fighting, for always standing by me, for bringing me home, for sharing Aurora and Rian with me." Mikasa smiled as she clutched my hands, her face inching closer to mine, and I hung on her every word, "Thank you for pushing through, for showing me how to live with purpose, I'm so _grateful_. Thank you for my scarf, for always wrapping it around me... _thank you_."

_Is that how she truly sees me?_

Tears finally fell from my eyes and reaching forward to pull the scarf tight around her neck one final time, I pressed my forehead to hers before standing to meet my destiny on my feet as a free man.

"Mikasa, I will always wrap your scarf, always and forever, that's a promise", I swore with all my heart as a shadow descended upon us, and rearing back I clenched my fully healed hand into a fist and swung forward with a scream of rage, when out of nowhere, a flash of red flew in front of me and a bloodied and beaten Aurora shoved me back with her nails pushing in the base of my throat, her bare skin on mine, with a roar of pure defiance tearing from her throat as she used her other arm to push back against the Smiling Titan.

_NO! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER, YOU BASTARD! JUST DIE!_

A spark of electric shot through my entire body as I fell back and screaming in pure blood-curdling agony, Aurora collapsed to her knees, clutching her head as blood squirting from her nose and lunging forward to wrap my arms around her, with relief so overwhelming it threatened to swallow me whole, I pulled her back with me as a Titan dove over the top of us and slammed into the Smiling Titan, knocking it off its feet as I stared in awe.

_I don't understand..._

I barely had time to think on what was happening as wrapped in my arms, Aurora continued to scream with blood pouring from her nose and more alarmingly her ears when the ground began to shake and multiple Titans raced straight passed us, diving on top of the Smiling Titan who was trying to push back against its attackers with everything it had.

"We have to get her out of here!" I agonised as Aurora eyes began to roll into the back of her head and panicking, I heaved her up into my arms before turning to Mikasa with desperation, "Can you move?!"

Nodding, Mikasa forced herself to her feet and ran beside me as I carried my barely holding on sister away from the fighting, my eyes scanning the area because if Aurora managed to survive against the odds, then maybe _he_ did too.

_Please, Rian... Please..._

"WHY ARE THEY ARE EATING IT!" Mikasa shouted and looking back over my shoulder, I felt a burning satisfaction at seeing that the Titans _were_ eating the Smiling Titan, tearing it apart limb from limb, just like it had with Hannes and my mother, but my satisfaction at finally having revenge was short-lived as Aurora groaned deeply in my arms as she held out her hand, pointing off into the distance towards Reiner, who had managed to free himself from the Titans he had been battling and was barrelling towards us.

_No! You can't have us!_

"GET AWAY FROM US!" I screamed and once again that jolting feeling shot through my entire body as Aurora screamed with more blood squirting from her nose, her body violently shaking in my arms, "RAT BASTARDS! I'LL KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!"

Rolling from my arms, Aurora fell to the floor as the earth thundered and throwing up a mixture of vomit and blood, she passed out unconscious, her body shaking with tremors and terror gripped my heart as her face began to visibly pale.

_No, not now! I just got you back!_

"Aurora!" I begged as I dragged her back up into my arms once again, "Hold on!"

A primal shriek ripped through the air as the Titans that had devoured the Smiling Titan now rushed Reiner head-on and not willing to risk Aurora's life a moment longer, I pushed on with Mikasa at my side, her hands heaving Aurora's legs despite her injury so that we could run faster while my mind clouded with confusion and fear.

_What the hell is going on!? Why are the Titans fighting each other!? What is happening to Aurora?!_

"Eren!" Armin's voice rang out and turning towards the sound of his voice in hope, I cried in relief as I saw him, carrying an unconscious Jean behind him, on horseback with Connie by his side and a spare horse in tow, "Can you ride!?"

_We're going to make it!_

"Take her!" I pleaded to Connie and heaving Aurora up as high as I could, I passed her to him, who after cradling her body in front of him protectively, nodded in understanding to what I was giving him before he kicked his horse into gear and cantered away with my sister. Wasting no further time, I shoved Mikasa up onto the horse and climbed in front of her, her arms wrapping around my waist and followed Connie, my eyes still searching for the one face I desperately needed to see.

_Please, Rian..._

"This may be our only window! Soldiers retreat!" Commander Erwin's voice rang out though I could not see him and pushing my horse as hard as I could, I came up beside Connie and Historia with the treacherous bitch Ymir who suddenly stopped running, her Titan eyes fixed on the fight behind us that we were quickly leaving behind.

"What is it!?" Historia cried as she brought her horse alongside Ymir, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Hey, ugly! Get with the programme!" Connie snarled as he rode past them before circling back and my temper sparked because Aurora did not have time for them to be fucking about, we needed to get back to Wall Rose now! "We were given an order!"

Gritting my teeth, I stared in frustration as Ymir's suddenly reached out for Historia, her sharp talon caressing Historia's head almost lovingly before she crawled away from her, leaving her stunned.

"Please... forgive... me" Ymir wheezed at Historia, and I reeled back in shock at hearing her voice before she took off at full speed back towards Reiner where he battled the horde of Titans attempted to devour him.

"Wait!" Historia cried out, her hand grasping at thin air, "What are you doing!?"

"Let her go!" Connie ordered as he rode beside Historia's horse and reaching over, careful so as not to cause any further pain to Aurora, he slapped the back of her mount to make it run faster.

"But she will be killed-"

"Aurora is going to die _now_ if we don't move now! We can't lose both of them!" Connie shouted before pushing his horse for the ride home and feeling that crushing weight returning to my chest, I realised I had been holding out hope for impossible, Rian, my brother... my _hero_... was never coming home again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos, bookmarks, Subscriptions and comments, they are really really appreciated especially after what I just did to Rian (Still crying over that).  
> As always, I love hearing from everyone and any advice or thoughts on the story are welcome, I do want to make this the best version of my fic that it can be.  
> Stay safe out there guys :D


	27. All the Kings Horses and All the Kings Men, Couldn't Put Them Back Together Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The scouts return from beyond the wall, but Aurora is far from out the wood.

LEVI 

The bells rang through the city of Karanes, stopping me mid-sentence as I wrote my report because the only reason the bells rang in an outlier district like this was for one of two things, either the gate had fallen, or the Scouts were returning.

_If the gate had fallen, surely I would have heard it, this has to be them..._

Pushing back from the desk, report entirely forgotten, I ran from towards the courtyard just as the scouts who had been left behind on Wall Rose all came out of the woodwork, having arrived themselves a few hours early, and the sound of horse hooves echoed outside making my heart leap as I pushed out into the open air in search of red hair and mismatched grey and green eyes.

_Come on, Aurora, where are you?_

The first thing that struck me was how few had returned, when leaving Erwin had over a hundred men at his back but now, eyes darting over the forlorn and wounded faces there wasn't even half that number remaining, and as I began to search more frantically, I felt my sanity beginning to slip as every face that past me wasn't the face I so desperately needed to see.

_Don't do this to me, you said you would fight like hell to get back to me, don't do this to me!_

Twisting and weaving my way through the horses and broken men, a shot of ice ran down my spine as I spotted Armin, the smallest of Aurora's brats, openly sobbing as he helped his half-awake comrade, Jean, down from his horse and picking up my pace to demand the whereabouts of his cousin, I froze dead in my tracks as two scouts carried a half-dead Erwin, missing an arm, between them into Headquarters and my mind clouded with a hundred questions.

_What the fuck happened?! Did we lose?! Where is Aurora?! Where is Eren?! Did we lose our -_

"Someone help me!" A voice rang out in fear and frantically searching for the source of the sound, a broken cry escaped my lips as a boy Scout, still astride his horse, struggled with the bloody redheaded woman in his arms as she spasmed violently.

_No, no, no!_

"Aurora!" I cried as I ran towards her and pulled her from the boy's grip only to fall to the floor as her entire body seized and jerked, eyes that I longed to see since she had left that fateful day rolling into the back of her head as a bloody froth formed at her lips.

_Please no..._

"She's convulsing!" someone shouted but who I did not see for my eyes were fixed on the woman in my arms as I wrestled to keep hold of her body, "We need a medic!"

_How do I stop this?! How the fuck do I stop this?!_

"What the hell happened?!" I demanded, never once taken my eyes off Aurora and I screamed internally when fresh blood rolled down her face from her nose, adding to the already alarming amount covering her face and shirt.

_I can see a deep cut across her jawline, but that couldn't have bled this much, even with the nosebleeds- wait... she was having nose bleeds before she left for HQ... What the hell was happening to her?!_

"I dunno!" the boy, Connie, fretted as his face took on a sickly pallor, "She was falling in and out of consciousness the entire ride back, mumbling about Rian and saving a child, the blood was pouring from her nose and ears long before Eren told me to take her!" 

_Nose **and** ears?!_

Hearing news on Eren survival didn't alleviate any of my stress, in fact, it only added to my growing frustration because right now either he or his idiot brother should be here helping me save their goddamn sister!

_They better be on deaths fucking door, and if they aren't, I'm going to put them there!_

"Aurora, come on!" I begged as she continued to writhe in my arms, her face turning paler and beneath the bloody froth, her lips began to take on a slightly bluish tint making my fear skyrocket, "NO! C'MON! BREATHE!"

As if hearing my voice, Aurora's eyes, which had been as white as death, rolled back down and focusing in on my face as she continued to spasm, her beautiful mismatched eyes began to bulge as the blood vessels swelled beneath them, a telling sign that she wasn't getting enough air.

_She's not going to make it..._

"Don't you dare do this to me! Do you hear me! Don't you dare!" I shouted at her as her eyes began to roll back again, and losing my hold on sanity, I began to scream at her, "DON'T YOU DARE! LOOK AT ME AURORA! YOU HAVE TO FIGHT THIS! COME ON YOU STUBBORN BITCH! WHAT'S THIS COMPARED TO A TITAN INVASION HUH!? WHAT'S THIS COMPARED TO EVERYTHING WE'VE FACED?!"

_Where the fuck is medical!?_

I vaguely noticed a crowd had begun to gather and fighting the urge to break down in tears and rip my own hair out, I rocked Aurora back and forth, not giving a damn about who was watching, as she slowly began to weaken in her convulsing, her strength failing her as soft gurgling noises left her lips in last-ditch attempts to breathe.

_Please... I'll give anything..._

"Don't hold her down!" Hange chastised as she suddenly appeared, and kneeling down beside me with a bag in her hand, she pulled Aurora from my arms to lay her down on the cobbled ground, "You risk breaking her bones if you do!"

"Where the fuck have you been?!" I snarled as I grabbed her bag from her and began to drag out its contents to help speed up the process. 

"How long has she been seizing?" Hange asked, ignoring my outburst, her face a hard mask of determination.

"I dunno! Minutes maybe." Connie panicked as he clutched his head in his hands, "She wasn't doing that on the ride back at all!"

"What injuries has she got?" Hange inquired as she began to check over Aurora's head, looking for any reason for _this_.

"I don't know! She was already covered in blood when Eren handed her to me, her face was cut, and she was thrown from her horse, but she got back up, she was fine!" Connie spluttered, and I wanted nothing more than to throttle him, did _this_ look fine to him?!

"Then how do you explain this!?" I stormed, my emotions raging inside as I watched the woman I loved fight to breathe, I should have told Erwin to go fuck himself, I should have forced my way onto that fucking expedition because despite Erwin's warnings the worst happened anyway, and I was stuck in a fucking office pushing papers while it happened! 

_I can't do this..._

"Don't leave me... Not now... not after all this." I whispered as I leaned closer to her, tears finally falling from my eyes and as I prepared for the worst, Aurora took a deep shuddering breath that arched her chest off the floor with her eyes wide open before she slumped back to the ground, chest rising and falling rapidly as her head lolled to the side, her body no longer seizing.

"That's it! Breathe!" I encouraged through sobbing laughs as I watched her chest pull in deeper and stronger lungful's, "Keep breathing!"

Turning her head to the sound of my voice, Aurora's heavy eyes rolled to me and cracking the dried blood around her chin, she tried to move her lips as she mouthed a word barely above a whisper.

"Ri...an...."

"Moblit, Lauder," Hange called out as she moved to pull Aurora up, and springing forward into action the Scouts in question rushed forward with the stretcher they had already been holding and lay it out beside Aurora, "Help me get her to the medical wing. We need her somewhere secure in case she has another seizure, and someone go find her damn brother! He should be here!"

Lifting Aurora with the precise medical training they had been given, Moblit and Hange placed Aurora on the stretcher before Lauder and Moblit picked it up and made haste into the building and not wanting another second apart from her, I briskly wiped the tears from my eyes and shot up after her.

"Go get Rian and bring him to the medical wing", I commanded Connie as I passed him, eyes focused on the stretcher ahead, she was going to make it, she had to.

"Er no, sir." Connie refused and freezing on the spot, I slowly turned towards, fighting the urge to put the kid on his ass, and gave him a levelled stare.

"I just gave you an order, brat", I said menacingly, but something about the crestfallen look on his face stopped me from ripping his throat out.

"Sir... Rian ...he... er ...Reiner... the armoured Titan started throwing other Titans at us... the impact... Rian... He's..." Connie stammered as fat tears fell from his eyes and my insides churned because I knew what he was going to say, I just didn't want to hear him say it. 

_No... don't say it... don't you dare say it..._

"He didn't make it."

* * *

JEAN 

Noise burst into the medical wing, causing Armin's already shaking hands to jerk as he wrapped the bandage around my head, and turning to see what all the commotion was about my breath caught in my throat as Moblit and Lauder rushed in with a stretcher between them, Hange and Captain Levi hot on their heels before they deposited the last person I wanted to see here on that bed, bloody and practically lifeless.

_Aurora... no..._

"She's burning to the touch!" Moblit exclaimed as he held the back of his hand to Aurora's head, his eyes frantic as he searched around the room for answers, "Hange what do we do?!"

"Strip her." Hange ordered, her voice meaning business as she shrugged out of her jacket and made her way to Aurora's side, "Strip her and fetch me bowls of warm water and cloths."

_What?! Right here?!_

Following Hange's commands, Moblit moved to unbutton Aurora's shirt but found himself unable as Captain Levi grasped his arm with a murderous look on his face and shivers ran down my spine.

_Oh shit..._

"Don't fucking touch her" Levi warned, his voice dangerously low and gulping in fear, Moblit held his hands up in surrender trying to appease the very agitated Captain as my eyes wandered back to Aurora who had begun to weakly toss and turn, clearly in pain and my bottom lip trembled at the sight of her so vulnerable.

_I've never seen her like this, even after the Female Titan almost killed her, she got back up and gave her hell, but this..._

"Levi, this isn't the time for false modesty!" Hange cursed as she stormed over and pulled the Captain from Moblit and picked up a pair of scissors, "We need to get her body temperature down, or she is going to _die_! Do you want that?! Of course, you don't! So, either help or get out!" 

_Save her... please.._.

Standing there for a moment, the Captain seemed to be frozen in shock when suddenly the door swung open with Sasha as she barrelled in, her sleeves already rolled up, ready to help and watching as her eyes fell on Aurora, I saw her gasp in shock before she rushed over to help Hange.

"Everyone who isn't injured or essential leave!" Hange gave as her only warning and quickly exiting the room, Lauder pulled a protesting Armin with him as he began to cry all over again, not that I blamed him, even I was having a tough time seeing this, and she wasn't some of the last of my family remaining.

Pulling Aurora' jacket off, Hange then gave out Scissors to Sasha and Levi as Moblit ran off to fetch water and cloths and wasting no time, they began to cut away Aurora's clothing, peeling back layer after layer of bloodstain fabric.

"Where is Rian?!" Hange asked as she pulled off the last of Aurora's breast band and staring at her full naked breasts as her chest rose up and down, I felt my mouth go dry but not in lust as I had expected my first time seeing a naked woman would be, but in alarm as the ugly bruising forming around her ribs stood out in stark contrast to her pale flesh, highlighting her muscled torso in a way that had tears pricking my eyes.

_The pain she must be in... what the hell happened to her..._

"He's dead." Captain Levi stated as he moved on to cut away at her trousers and ceasing their cutting, Sasha and Hange both stared at the Captain with varying levels of anguish and I felt the tears fall from my eyes as I realised what we had lost, what _Aurora_ had lost.

_He was one of the best we had, if he fell, what hope do the rest of us have..._

Ripping the last of her clothing from her, Levi threw the stained fabric away with shaking hands and standing back to allow Hange to move to the top of Aurora's body and with unsteady hands, Hange picked up the mass that was Aurora's tangled hair and brought her scissors up ready to cut when suddenly the doors burst open to reveal Eren, his eyes wide in a fury, with Mikasa's arm over his shoulder and clutching her side.

_No! Mikasa is hurt too!_

Gently placing Mikasa on the nearest bed, Eren turned to face Hange with burning eyes as Moblit and Lauder return with large buckets of water, their eyes looking in every direction but at Aurora as she lay there with nothing to protect her virtue.

"Eren," Hange warned as Eren took a step towards them, "Get out of-"

"What are you doing?!" Eren demanded as he took another step forward before his eyes zeroed in on the wild red hair in Hange's hands, "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER HAIR!"

"Eren her hair is too thick, and she has the beginnings of fever if I cut-"

"I SAID DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HER HAIR!" Eren stormed as he dove towards the section commander, and jumping off my bed with unsteady feet, I grabbed hold of the stupid bastard who had clearly lost his fucking mind and pulled him back as much I could before I felt myself start to go fuzzy around the head. 

_That's not good..._

"GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" Captain Levi raged as he dragged Eren by the front of his shirt and threw him towards Lauder who restrained the suicidal maniac and dragged him kicking and screaming from the room.

"CAPTAIN LEVI PLEASE! DON'T LET THEM CUT HER HAIR! LEVI! LEVI! YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME! DON'T LET THEM CUT HER HAIR! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!- LEVI!" Eren continued to scream long after he left the room, his voice echoing down the corridor and bouncing inside my skull.

_What the fuck is wrong with him?! Its only hair! She could die if they don't do this!_

"I have hair ties." Sasha offered as she pulled the bands tying her own hair out and offered them to Hange, and feeling the room beginning to spin I lay myself down on my bed, my eyes getting heavier but unable to close until I knew that Aurora was out of danger.

"That will work." Hange nodded and accepting the ties, used them to pull Aurora's mane away from her body, "Sasha, Levi, wash her body regularly with the water, we need to get her core temperature down lest we run the risk of her developing a nasty fever but stop if she starts to shiver. Moblit help me stitch up this cut, I'd rather not have her bleeding out anywhere if she seizes again." Hange fussed before turning to Mikasa and me with sorrowful eyes, "Mikasa, Jean... just lie there till I can get to you okay?"

"Save her first, we can come later" I mumbled as my limbs took on the weight of lead.

"What about the Commander?" Moblit asked as he moved around to do as he was bid, and I felt my eyes closing despite my protests.

"He's in good hands, _our_ job is to stabilise Aurora." Hange stressed as my hold on consciousness began to slip, "Right everyone, let's get to it, we're in for a _long_ night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments and kudos! I'm so happy that people are reading this and enjoying it as much as I am writing it :D :D


	28. Aurorae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin and Jean discuss theories as to what happened out on the field and Aurora awakens.  
> https://youtu.be/6VAqWBxqUfc  
> ( I would recommend listening to the music when the second half of this chapter begins, it was afterall the inspiration for it :D)

ARMIN 

It had been two days since we had returned to Karanes. Two days since we had taken Eren back from Reiner's clutches. Two days since we had lost over half the veteran contingent. Two days since we had lost Rian. Two days of endless, undying heartache that no matter how hard I tried, it would not go away and the worst part? We didn't have a body to bury.

_We had nothing but broken soldiers and our grief._

It was hard to find positives in this victory, it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, especially not now as I sat with Jean by Aurora's bed, taking our turn in watching over her, as she struggled to combat the fever that was ravaging her body.

Hange had done everything she could for her, and besides monitoring her and applying regular cool cloths to her brow all we could do was sit and wait to see if Aurora would be strong enough to push through, and I hoped for all our sake that she was, because if she didn't... well I didn't want to think about what would happen if we lost her too.

_Me, Eren, Mikasa, Jean, Captain Levi, Hange... so many loved her..._

Jean and I had relieved Captain Levi and Moblit, and they Mikasa and Eren before them, and so on, all eager to do their part in bringing Aurora back to health but with Commander Erwin yet to wake, and Section Commander Miche and Ness both killed in action the scout chain of command lay in chaos. Hange and Levi were doing their best to bring some semblance of order but with half the officers dead or in a bed just like Aurora that was proving to be a difficult task, especially since Wall Rose had yet to be declared secure.

_Everything is a mess..._

Groaning in her sleep, Aurora became restless and began to toss and turn, her hair and nightdress drenched with sweat and jumping up to grab a fresh cloth, I was beaten to it by Jean who had already wrung out the damp fabric and was dabbing it across her flushed skin.

"Ssshhh its Jean, you're alright, you're alright..." Jean soothed before he seemed to catch himself, "Man, what am I saying. It's not as if she can hear me."

"I think she can actually," I smiled sadly as, in contradiction to his words, Aurora settled back into her bed with deep, uneven breaths, "Whether she can understand what you're saying is a different question."

Slumping back into his chair, Jean heaved a deep sigh as he ran a hand down his face, dark circles prominent beneath his eyes and I found myself sympathising wholeheartedly.

_Looks like I'm not the only one not getting any sleep._

"How are you doing?" Jean asked suddenly, having caught my gaze upon him, and turning my eyes back to Aurora, I fought to hold back the tears that I surely should have cried out by now.

"Honestly?" I sniffed, lower lip trembling, "Not great. Every time I think about _him_ , I feel like I want to crawl in a hole someplace and just be done with it, but I can't, not when Aurora is like this, we are all that's left now."

_Our whole family has gone in just under a decade... will we even survive to see the next?_

"I'm sorry for what it's worth. I didn't know him well, but he was a good guy. He deserved better." Jean said softly, his eyes trailing over to Aurora, and I had the feeling he was talking more about Aurora than Rian, how _she_ deserved better and somehow that made me even sadder.

"I don't even know if she knows he's gone," I lamented, the thought hitting me hard in the chest, "A part of me thinks that she does and that's why her body can't seem to get past this, despite it not actually being that damaged."

"Can you believe that, though?" Jean muttered, awe tinging his tone as he leaned forward and rested his arms on Aurora's bed, "That her wounds are superficial like Hange said? I mean, I probably should have looked away, but I saw the bruising all over her body, hell she even had a seizure! That doesn't just happen by itself, and this fever isn't because of nothing either. If it really is just surface injury then- I just... I don't understand..."

It had seemed impossible, given everything that had happened but a lot of things we had thought impossible had come to pass, and it got me thinking that maybe we needed to re-examine what we thought we knew, that and it was a way to distract from the pain.

"I've have been thinking about that," I admitted, "Amongst other things, and I think I have a theory."

"What do you mean?" Jean puzzled as he sat back and gave me his full attention.

"Eren's and Mikasa's report say that Eren tried to punch the Titan that ate his mother-"

"Why doesn't that surprise me", Jean muttered, his arms crossing over his chest with a scowl on his face, clearly still pissed at Eren for his outburst a few days ago.

"Anyway," I continued on, ignoring his comment, "The reports say it was right at that moment when the Titans turned on that one Titan, completed ignoring us and tore it apart before devouring it. What if that was because of Eren?" I suggested, and quickly Jean's face twisted in disbelief as he opened his mouth to speak, "Hear me out. Suppose Eren isn't like the other Titan shifters, suppose he can control Titans, command them even, like the Female Titan can but only better. It would explain why Reiner and Bertolt wanted him so badly, why they risked so much to take him."

I had gone over it the best part of the night and there was no way what happened was a fluke, coincidences seldom occur so often, especially as often as this which lead me to believe all of this connected, Eren, the Titans, Reiner and Bertolt and even Aurora, I could feel it in my bones.

"That doesn't explain why Reiner started throwing Titans. Surely, he knew one of them could eat Eren, wouldn't that have fucked with his plans if Eren is the only one who can command them like you say?" Jean countered, and I felt the carpet come out from under me, I hadn't taken that factor into consideration.

_Stupid._

"I didn't say my theory was watertight", I muttered dejectedly.

"No, but it isn't in the realms of the impossible is it?" Jean speculated, his arms still crossed but his eyes were fixed on Aurora, "Playing devil's advocate, say your right, say Eren can control the Titans, how does Aurora factor into all of this? How has _this_ happened?"

_And here is where my theory gets even rockier._

"I think this is because of her ability to detect Titans." I explained, and Jean raised a single eyebrow, "Again, hear me out. She can feel Titans, knows where they are before she sees them. We've always been under the assumption that it was a heightened fear response, _instinctual_ , but what if it's more than that?"

"I'm not following", Jean said confused, his eyebrows pulling together.

"What Aurora can do is limited to her, or her bloodline to be more specific, but it isn't exactly physical." I mused as I rubbed my hands together, "I mean, it is to _her_ , but it isn't something she can hold in her hand like a blade, it's inside her, in her mind. What if she is somehow connected to the Titans, suppose that's how she finds them, that connection would always there and open."

"Armin, I'm _really_ not following." Jean exasperated as he unfolded his arms to run both hands down his face, "She kills Titans almost as good as the Captain does, there is no connection there except hatred and dare I say it, a twisted sort of pleasure."

_I'll say, bloodlust is something both the Captain and Aurora have in common._

"I'm not saying this right..." I muttered as I tried to find a better way to explain, a way Jean could understand, "Okay, imagine this. You're Aurora, and you're out in the field on an expedition, when a Titan appears it's like a flare going up, a signal inside your head that tells you exactly where the enemy is, just like how Titans always seem to be able to find humans, even if they are hiding, then all of a sudden a flare goes up, brighter, louder, hotter than any before it. This flare draws the attention of every Titan in the vicinity, telling them what to do, but you're not a Titan, and you're not a shifter either, you're human, albeit more durable than most, but your still human and your body can't cope with the strength of this flare, so it shuts down to protect itself, to give itself time to heal."

"I get what you're saying," Jean started, his face still a mask of confusion, "But that doesn't account for all the times' Aurora has been around Eren, in and out of Titan form. Never has anything close to _this_ happen to her-"

"True, but it does explain why blood was coming from her nose and ears and why she had a seizure." a voice broke in behind us and jumping out of our seats, Jean and turned to see Hange as she leaned against the door, clearly listening to our conversation.

"Section Commander." I saluted hastily, but Hange flapped her hands in a brush off gesture before she moved to take a stand at the bottom of Aurora bed, her finger tapping her chin.

"I've been thinking she hit her head too hard or in worst case she was experiencing a brain fever, but this almost makes a sick kind of sense." Hange theorised, her eyes shining with hope behind her glasses, "What if what she can do is like a muscle, the first time you use it, it hurts for a while, but after you keep on using it, it gets stronger but then one day you use it too much, you strain it, the muscle stretches too thinly or tears, but instead of this being a leg or arm muscle, it's inside the brain."

_Yes! That makes sense, overexertion of the mind..._

"If that's true, what does that mean for her?" Jean fretted as he turned his head to gaze back down at Aurora with worry.

"One of two things I'm afraid," Hange sighed softly as she took a seat at the foot of Aurora's bed, "Either she will have damaged herself beyond repair, or she is going heal stronger. Either way, I don't think she will be as she was before."

AURORA 

If I thought I had felt pain before, I was sorely mistaken. This _burning_ was as bewildering as it was agony, and as its flames licked at my molten skin, I felt akin to a heretic burning at the stake, condemned to a fiery death, but the searing white-hot burning wasn't the pain in which I spoke of.

_Rian..._

It was alien at first, the feeling of watching that Titan crush him, I almost didn't believe it, but when I felt the spray of his blood hit my face, and the smell of rusting metal filled my nose I had known he was gone, and after I had finished carving up the Titan that had crushed him out of existence in a fit of blind rage, I had felt all that anger direct at the one person I blamed entirely.

_Reiner._

That murderous, evil, vile, rat bastard, _snake_ was the reason for this, him and his side bitch Bertolt, and as soon as I stop burning, I'm going to find them and carve their hearts out of their chests like they had done to me, and make them eat it before I cut there bastard heads off. 

_And that would still be a mercy._

It was the least they deserved after my brother, the one who came into this world by my side, whom I shared a womb with, whom I had never been parted from since birth had offered them _forgiveness_ , had offered them a _future_ and how did they repay him? By dashing his life upon the ground and turning his body-

_His body... oh god... I left him out there to rot...I didn't bring back his body... I didn't bring him **home**..._

A dark wave of emotion crashed over my body and using the pain to fuel my limbs, I forced my eyes open and dragged myself out of bed, sweat pouring down my back, before stumbling towards the door.

_I have to make this right...I have to bring him back..._

"Aurora." A groggy voice that sounded vaguely familiar drew near and feeling a cold hand on my burning arm, I stumbled away, hell-bent on my mission because as long as he was out there, unloved and unburied, he would never be at peace.

_I have to bring him back..._

"Aurora, _please_ , you have to get back into bed. You're sick!" the voice urged and feeling a tugging around my waist trying to pull me back, I panicked and shoved the voice away from me with all I had and the sound of crashing metal rang through my ears, setting my teeth on edge.

_I have to bring him back..._

"What the hell!?" the voice exclaimed and not waiting to be stopped, took off stumbling down the rocking corridor towards a strange iridescent light that was emitting from the windows despite the late hour.

"Aurora come back! You're not well!" the voice cried in desperation as it followed from behind and pushing myself harder, despite falling countless times, I managed to stagger my way to the main door before throwing them open and cowering as the blinding light assaulted my eyes.

_I have to bring him back..._

Lumbering forward blinding, I felt my knees give out and collapsing to the cobbled ground I opened my eyes to my hands clawing at the floor and stared in awe as my pale skin glowed a beautiful colour of blue and white, and sitting back on my knees, I brought them up and marvelled at the swirling lightings that seemed to pulsate beneath my skin with the beating of my heart.

_What is happening to me?_

"Somebody get Captain Levi!" the voice called out and squinting through the blinding light above, I saw Jean running towards me, his skin glowing too though not as bright and staring at him wide-eyed, I saw the pale violet light bleed out from him, floating into the night sky and following the swirling colour, my lips parted as endless paths of light flowed from all around, all conjoining and twisting around each other to one beacon that was rapidly approaching from within the walls of HQ.

_It looks like... the lights from my dreams..._

"Aurora? Jean?" another voice, so familiar yet so far away called out, "What is she doing out of bed?!"

_Am I dreaming?_

"Mikasa! Captain! Help me!" Jean pleaded and following the sound of echoing footsteps I saw the Mikasa and Levi rushing towards me, their bodies both emitting a brighter light than Jean's, a burning of green and amethyst spiralling from them up into the heavens to join the ethereal display. 

_They are the same..._

"Aurora what are you doing?!" Levi worried as he dropped down beside me and pulling me into his cold arms, our lights blending together to create a symphony of colour that danced in spirals around us.

_It's beautiful..._

"Can't you see them..." I whispered in awe as I traced his glowing skin with my fingertips, eyes wide in wonder, "The lights, Levi... the lights are in _us_."

"What is she talking about?!" Mikasa stressed as she too knelt beside me, her colour adding to the array and following their trails of light my eyes began to burn with tears as the beacon got closer and closer.

"Its delirium, likely from her fever", Levi said with concern, and I felt the back of his hand brush against of my brow when suddenly the beacon entered the courtyard, and endless colours burst in my vision as I wept with reverie.

_Is that what God looks like?_

"Aurora?!" Eren's panicked voice was the last thing I heard as the blinding beacon of light rushed towards me and swallowed me whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the comment, Kudos, Subscriptions and bookmarks and 190 collective kudos for the series! I'm honestly blown away, I didn't think that many of you would like my work, so a massive thank you :D:D:D


	29. From Womb to Tomb, We are Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aurora follows the light

AURORA 

_Tears continued to leak from my eyes as the brightness that had taken away my vision slowly began to recede and taking in a deep shuddering breath, I rubbed my eyes clear before freezing in place as and endless night sky lay above me._

**_I'm not in Karanes anymore..._ **

_"Aurora..." the delicate, childlike whisper I had grown to dread floated around the stale air and forcing myself up to meet whatever was in store on my feet, proud and defiant, I followed the light still flowing from my body, ignoring the eyes of the souls around me standing on the white sand, to the beacon of pure white light cutting into the night sky, shifting and pulsating with power like I had never seen before, drawing me to it like a shelter in a storm._

**_It feels like … home..._ **

_****Stumbling my way forward, feet heavy and unsteady, I pushed on towards the light, the feeling of home growing stronger till the light suddenly flared, bathing me in its radiance, and shielding my eyes from the light, I wept harder as a burning,_ **_cleansing,_ ** _fire ignited within me, rising and falling with the rhythm of my frantic heart, only growing softer when I felt a gentle tugging on my hands._

_Uncertain or perhaps afraid, I kept my eyes tightly closed as the light dimmed behind my eyelids and it wasn't until I felt the soft caress of fingertips on my face that I opened my eyes and met the familiar blue eyes of my brother as he stood before me proud, the wings of freedom blazing on his breast pocket, and unharmed._

_"Hello, sister." Rian smiled softly and choking on a cry that was clawing its way up my throat, I flung my arms around him the same time as him, and with wracking sobs, I felt my heart shatter at the coolness of his touch reminding me once again that he was no longer amongst the living._

_"Am I dead too?" I whispered into Rian's broad chest, my mind thinking that was the only rational explanation as to why I was here with him, and yet that made me even more distraught as I pictured the faces of those I had unwillingly left behind._

**_Levi..._ **

" _No, but you gave it a good go didn't you?" Rian laughed softly, and I felt the rumbling deep within his chest as he brought his hand up to stroke my hair, "You know when uncle Alert said to not go where the other can't follow, I don't think he meant the afterlife."_

_"Is that what this is?" I asked uncertainly as I pulled back slightly to look at his face with sadness, "The afterlife?"_

_"Not exactly. This is a place where paths meet, or more specifically **our** Paths meet. It's a coordinate of sorts, a place where the memories and experience of our ancestors meet as one. You are in caught limbo between your world and this place, though I suspect that won't be for long, you always did have a strong will." Rian explained softly, and my stupid heart leapt at his words, desperate for that need to undo what had been done, for him to be alive when suddenly it all made sense and that hope I had felt withered away to nothingness_.

**_Your world... not ours..._ **

_"What's wrong?" Rian asked, his thick brows drawn in concern and sensing my discomfort, he dropped his arms and stepped back to look down at me with a sudden understanding._

_"You **died** ," I cried as I wrapped my arms around myself, "I felt your blood splatter on my face, I saw what was left of your body. I **left** you lying there, corpse mangled beyond repair to save Eren. I **chose** him over yo-" _

_"You saved the living over the dead Aurora, that isn't a choice." Rian argued, his head shaking vigorously in denial before he stepped close and wrapped me in his once again, "What you **did** choose was to get up and keep on fighting, to not lie there and take what fate had dealt you, to **survive** , and before your time is done, you will have to make another choice." _

**_You will have to make another choice..._ **

_Freezing as soon as I heard those words leave his lips, I pulled back slowly from Rian's embrace only to jump back and hold my hands up a warning as he held his own hand out to me, the blade my Grandfather had used to stab me, the one my father had begged for me to use on myself, balanced carefully on his palm as he looked at me with regret._

_"You're not my brother, are you?" I accused as I eyed the weapon with hate, Rian would never have asked this of me, he would never have turned a weapon on me, not like_ **_them_ ** _, he was my brother and this, whatever **this** was, was using his face to make me do its bidding. _

_**Haven't I already suffered enough?!** _

_"You always did see to the heart of things," Rian smiled though it did not reach his eyes, "Time works differently here, it may seem like a moment for you, but for me, I've been waiting to see you again for a thousand years. That changes a soul. I_ **_am_ ** _your brother; I'm just not as you remember him."_

_"That doesn't make any sense." I objected weakly because as soon as I met his eyes I could see the truth burning in them and that was far worse than an imposter, "A thousand years? Are you saying you're trapped here?"_

_"In a way, yes," Rian confessed, sickness hitting my stomach at the thought of him stuck here for all eternity, "I am stuck here but not against my will. I chose to be here, they showed me everything, all the secrets, all the lie. I have seen the truth Aurora, **your** truth." Rian smiled beautifully then, his eyes full of awe and I felt my hands begin to tremble, "You have the power to change everything, to bring about a world that has never been before, but you have to accept it, no more pretending, no more hiding. The time is coming when you will burn so bright that even the stars will dim, and your name will live on long after the memory of your smile fades, but first, you have to choose." _

**_Why does nothing that gets said here make any sense!?_ **

_"Choose what Rian?!" I shouted, unable to bear it any longer, "Why won't you just say it?!"_

_"Your **side** ", Rian demanded as he grasped my arm, eyes burning into mine with a pleading I was not used to, not from him. _

_"I know my side", I whispered, suddenly uncertain in my own judgement, was he talking about the Titans? Or something worse?_

_"Do you?" Rian stressed, his eyes filling with tears and I felt dread slither into my heart like ice down a river because that look wasn't a look I had seen on his face before, it was the look of a man who was utterly **betrayed**. _

**_But why?!_ **

_Suddenly loud drumming began to beat through the air, just as it had before and turning to gaze around me, my eyes widened once again_ _to the sight of my ancestors all holding spears of different designs, banging them into the earth in another warlike display, except unlike before, Rian too now held a spear as light pulsated out of him, flowing from him and connecting to me._

_"We're out of time." Rian lamented as he turned slightly to gaze towards the beacon of light where the blonde child who had called to me stood waiting with her hand outstretched towards him._

_"No, wait!" I pleaded as I dove forward and clung to his body, not willing to let him leave me as the agony that had been soothed at seeing his face again threatened to rear and devour me, "Please don't go. I can't... I can't do this without you..."_

**_Please..._ **

_"Aurora look at me." Rian coaxed and turning my desperate eyes to meet his soft blues, I felt the chasm begin to open beneath me, "I've been with you since before we were born, from womb to tomb we are bound to one another, and as long as you are breathing, I am still with you in_ **_here_ ** _and_ **_here,_ ** _" Rian gently brushed his fingers against my temple before bringing his hand to rest over my thundering heart, "and not even death can take that from us."_

_"Rian..." I whispered, words catching in my throat as I struggled with what to say and smiling, Rian leaned forward to brush his lips against my brow before suddenly shoving me back into the abyss with a single word on his lips._

**_"Live"_ **

* * *

EREN 

_"RIAN!"_ Aurora's scream tore me from my sleep and jerking forward from my twisted position on my chair, I fumbled blindly to catch her before she rolled from the bed, my spine stiffening with a jolt of electric the moment my bare skin brushed against her burning arms.

********

_The glass-like cavern was glowing in an eerie display of pale blue light as I knelt, chained, with blood pouring down my face upon the altar and yet as I pulled against the iron bindings that held me, none of it mattered, not after what I had learned, not after what I was seeing unfold before me._

_"Aurora, please don't do this!" Historia begged, her small frame shaking in her thin white dress as she stood with her arms held out, pleading for the dark-haired man behind her._

_"Stand aside, I won't tell you again", Aurora warned, her green and grey mismatched eyes burning with hatred as she fixed her gaze on the terrified dark-haired man behind, her blades gleaming and ready to make good on her word._

_"I'm not responsible for what happened to your entire family, you can't hold me accountable for the last 100 years." the dark-haired man quaked behind Historia, content to use her as a human shield between him and the red-haired woman who was eyeing him like a predator does its prey._

" _I can think of two people who may disagree, then again, I wouldn't know because you took them from me before I could even remember what they looked like." Aurora sneered, her voice cold and unfeeling, "Do you think people will remember what you look like once you're gone? Do you think they will **care**?" _

_"I am a_ **_king_ ** _! I will not be intimated by an abomination! You are nothing! And you will die as nothing!" The dark-haired man boomed, his chest puffing in false pride, in what was an attempt to scare but that only made Aurora laugh darkly before she turned her gaze to Historia who was looking at the dark-haired man with slight disgust._

 _"Want to know something about kings Historia," Aurora smiled sinisterly as she raised her blade up to her face to peer down the shining edges, "They are just men, and when faced with death, they weep and beg and_ _shit themselves just like all the rest of them. A fact I'm about to prove. in the next ten seconds"_

_Taking a menacing step forward towards the dark-haired man with her chin length curls shifting around her face, Aurora snarled, ready to lunge when suddenly an echoing shot rang out through the cavern and jumping back, Aurora narrowly missed the chunks of cavern glass that ricochet up into the air as the blast hit where she had been standing seconds ago._

_"God, I do love a violent woman, I must say the runt does have impeccable taste; in fact, I think I'm half in love myself." the tall man in the white banned bowler hat grinned as he held his smoking canister up beside his face, "Sadly for you though darling you're on the_ **_wrong_ ** _side, so what do you say we end this like the warriors of old huh, just you and me, while the higher-ups play with power?"_

**********

Falling back as my vision returned to me, I looked down alarmed at Aurora as she hung limply in my arms, and pushing her back in a daze, I settled her back into her bed before placing the back of my hand against her brow, feeling her skin once again and sobbing quietly in relief, I thanked whoever was listening, for despite the odds, Aurora's fever had broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos and Comments, I hope your all enjoying the story so far, especially as we are drawing closer to the end of the second book :D


	30. There is Beauty In the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning- NSFW, grief, mentions of violence

LEVI 

Two weeks had passed, and it had been the longest of my life, Erwin was still completely out of it having lost too much blood during his Titan enforced amputation, half the soldiers were on their death beds, the brats were all deep in their grief and Aurora was as distant as she had ever been, her silent, methodical routines scaring the shit out of me in a way I had never been scared before.

It had started the morning after she had collapsed in the courtyard, raving in the throes of delirium about lights before Eren had rushed over to us, and whatever it was she thinks she saw; I was glad for it because after we got her back into her bed, her fever broke during the night and the next day she was sitting up and looking with unclouded eyes, only issue was she was dead behind them.

I had sat shitting myself as I had watched her barely acknowledge her brats as they explained what had happened to her brother with a vacant look on her face, and I had shit myself even more, when Hange had given her the all clear to leave, and I had brought her back to our shared accommodation. Entering the room, she had sat in the chair by the window staring outside and even though I tried talking to her, touching her, there was no response, and I began to fear she had died out there with her brother.

Shock Hange had called it as we inched into the second day, and as I watched her succumb to her grief I grew angry, so _fucking_ angry, because here I was, humanities so-called strongest and I could do fuck all as she sunk in on herself and I would have given anything to have her look at me, scream, shout, cry, _something_.

Of course, it didn't help that thanks to Erwin being effectively useless, and with Miche gone, running the scouts fell to Hange and by extension to me, and though it had pained me to leave her I had done it to see to the endless list of tasks and reports that had needed doing, however when I had returned I had found her missing. Panicking I had raced around HQ, desperately looking for any sign of her when by hazard chance I had walked by the gym and found her there, Jean and Mikasa watching her with faces of concern, as she benched weights, punched the bags and wore herself into exhaustion.

It wasn't exactly the best thing for her to be doing so soon after what happened to her, which I still couldn't get my head around even after Hange had explained, but it was progress, it was _something_. That's when the routines came into place, it was methodical, it was planned, it was _safe_. Get up, wash, eat, gym, reports, eat, sleep, and repeat. I understood it, it was the mentality of one step at a time, and it did help some, she began to answer to her name, she began to respond appropriately to what was asked, she would let me hold her, but she was still so distant, just as she was right now.

I sat watching her move about the room in her nightdress, folding her clean shirts before moving over to the dresser from my seat at my desk, hoping against hope that tonight would be the night I would see some of the woman I had fallen in love with, but as she moved around completing her silent routine, I was beginning to lose out on that hope when she passed by the washbasin in the corner of the room that held bottles of fragrances and ointment for her wounds and suddenly she froze, her eyes widening as she stared at her reflection in the mirror above the sink.

_That isn't good..._

Gently pushing back from the desk so as not to spook her, I had barely gotten to my feet when out of nowhere, Aurora screamed in rage and grabbed a bottle from the basin before throwing it against the mirror, shattering it to pieces, and jumping over the desk, with my heart in my throat, I seized her from behind as she grabbed another bottle and threw it against the wall.

"Aurora stop!" I commanded, my arms struggling to contain the smaller woman despite her weakened state as she resisted.

_What the hell has she been doing at that gym!?_

"Get off me!" Aurora roared as I dragged her back away from the glass that would shred her feet if she stepped on the shards, fighting me the entire way with a wild look in her eyes and I began to regret my wish for seeing her do something other than her creepy machinations.

"Stop it!" I snarled as I released her once she was out danger from the shards at least, "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"I'M ALREADY HURT!" Aurora raged as she shoved against me and screaming again in a fury she began to beat her fists against my chest with a surprising strength that had me reacting on instinct, and in the flash of a second, without realising I had moved, I had her back up on the wall with her arms pinned on either side of her head as her eyes blazed.

_Fuck, what am I doing?!_

Moving back barely a fraction to free her and apologise, Aurora slammed her lips against mine and pushing back without thinking, I pinned her against the wall again and clashed my tongue with hers, my hips grinding into her as my length began to stiffen against the confines of my pants when suddenly she sank her teeth into my lip, snapping me back into the realms of sanity and I broke away from the kiss.

_What the fuck are we doing?!_

"I don't think..." I trailed off in harsh pants as I cursed my body's reactions, she was trying to distract herself from her grief with sex, a good enough tool but it didn't last long, the pain always came back except with the added guilt of taking carnal pleasures, or at least it had with me. When Isabel and Farlan had died I had done the exact same thing with a woman whose name I didn't know and whose face I couldn't even remember, it had been cheap and meaningless, perhaps that was why it felt wrong.

_It wouldn't be the same for Aurora, I love her, and she loves me. She needs me to love her, to take the pain away no matter how brief..._

" _Please_..." Aurora pleaded, her eyes full of pain and suffering and feeling my resolve shatter, I released my hold on her hands and swallowed thickly. 

"Take off your clothes" I commanded softly, if this was what she wanted, if this was what she _needed_ , I would not withhold.

Aurora obeyed the order by slipping her nightdress over her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor soundlessly before she slipped out of the thin underwear she wore and looking up into my eyes, with a burning plea , I unable to stop myself from trailing my eyes over her shapely body which was littered with bruising which oddly added to her allure as it showed her strength.

_All they have done to you, and still you stand..._

Moving towards our bed, she eased back onto the clean linen, her arms supporting her weight as she stared up at me, waiting for me to follow and I felt my pants constrict even more at the sight of the soft red hair between her legs, inviting me.

"Lay back," I requested; my voice strained from desire and doing as I asked, I moved forward to lean over her before bringing my lips to her navel. Jerking at the touch, Aurora moaned deeply as I trailed my tongue up her abdomen; all the way to the valley between her heaving breasts as I rolled my hips against her thighs in desperate need of friction and cupping each of her full breasts, I placed open-mouthed kisses along her rapidly flushing skin, before flicking my tongue over each nipple, sucking hard on the raised nub as Aurora arched off the bed, her hands fisting in my hair with a soft keen. 

_I've missed that sound._

I was getting far too aroused at the simplest of sounds, partly because it had been nearly three weeks since I had last buried myself inside her, not a long time I know, but after everything that had happened, it had seemed like I had been separated from her for a lifetime. The rest was because I needed her like I needed air, I needed this physicality, needed this closeness, so much so that the simplest of touches had me fighting back my peak, but this wasn't about me, this was about Aurora, I was hers to do with as she saw fit and if she needed me to fuck her into oblivion so she didn't feel the pain I knew was burning her from within, then I would do so till neither of us could no longer function.

_Just like she had done for me..._

Pushing my head lower, with her finger's still wrapped in my hair, I let her take the lead as she guided me lower down her body and when she had to sit forward to maintain her grip, I seized her legs and dragged her to the end of the bed, legs hanging off the side before pushing them open and kneeling before her like a man in prayer. 

_God can go fuck himself, but I would pray at any altar she stood upon._

Lifting her legs, Aurora hooked her knees over each of my shoulders, her hands slipping back into my hair as she rolled her hips forward for a better angle and needing no further guidance, I buried my face between her legs and gave her wet folds a deliberately hard lick.

Aurora's response was euphoric as she rolled her hips in time with the steady laps of my tongue, fingers tightening in my hair and looking up from between my legs, I felt myself throbbing at the sight of her flushed heaving chest, and grey and green eyes boring into mine with absolute _need_ in an intensely intimate passion that I had been afraid had died out in the field with her brother.

_There you are, my love, I thought I had lost you..._

Pressing my tongue harder against her swollen nub, I brought my fingers up to her heat before gently slipping them inside, her walls clamping down immediately with a soft cry escaping her lips and thrusting into my hand, I allowed her to ride my digits as the need to be inside her intensified and long deep moans rumbled in my chest, vibrating against Aurora's quickly slickening folds.

"Levi...right... _there_ " Aurora gasped suddenly, her hand fisting tighter into my hair to the point of pain as she desperately ground herself against my face and taking her direction, I pushed another finger inside her and stroked the spot she had helpfully pointed out while sucking on her nub harder, making her come with a wordless cry, hands grasping my head as she canted her hips in an incredibly arousing display.

_Fuck..._

Collapsing back on the bed with a deep sigh of pleasure, her legs shaking slightly from her peak, Aurora lay there with her chest heaving as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and rose to my feet when suddenly, Aurora pushed herself up by her elbows, hair free and wild around her head, as fixed her dark gaze on the painfully hard bulge in my pants. 

_She's so beautiful_.

Hastily removing my jacket, Aurora quickly jumped up off the bed to stand before in all her naked glory before crashing her lips against mine in a searing kiss, her hands trailing to the collar of my shirt before she ripped the fabric clean down the centre, sending buttons flying everywhere and breaking away in shock, I saw the dark hunger in her eyes and felt my own respond in kind.

Shoving the torn fabric from my shoulders, I fumbled with the laces at my trouser and moaned in relief as I sprang free before kicking off my boots and trousers and guiding Aurora back to the bed as she grasped my shaft, pumping it just how I liked it, making my head roll back in pleasure as she bit into my collar bone, hard enough to almost break the skin. 

_Fuck, fuck, fuck..._

Sinking her teeth into my flesh once again, I hissed as my staff twitched in her hand and reaching up to grasp her chin, I brought our lips together in another heated kiss as I pushed her back onto the bed and climbed on top of her.

_I can't hold back any longer, I need her..._

Pressing tight against me, skin on burning skin, Aurora moaned as she felt my length press against her legs as my hips rolled of their own accord, desperate to feel any part of her against me, and parting her legs to allow me to settle between them, I broke the kiss and grasped the sides of her face, forcing her to look at me as I aligned myself with her entrance and meeting my heated gaze with her wide eyes filled with ecstasy, I pushed myself inside her.

_Home... this is home for me..._

Filling her tight walls deeper, inch by glorious inch, I fought against the need to drive home and slam into her, so with shaking restraint and pleasure, I seated myself inside her as little moans escaped her lips before slowly retreating and gently thrusting back in with a gasp, my eyes savouring the feeling of being whole and rested my forehead against hers.

_I don't... I don't want to hurt her..._

"Levi," Aurora murmured, her voice shaking slightly and opening my eyes I met her gaze which seemed to pierce my soul as she brought her legs up to hook around my waist, "I won't break... not anymore..."

Stunned, I stared wordlessly into her eyes as the implication of her words settled on my heart and arching up against me, Aurora pressed her lips against mine, _hard_ , as she started to roll her hips with force and feeling my body response before my mind caught up, I thrust into her with force and swallowed the cry that escaped her lips as her insides fluttered and lost all control of myself. 

Her hands were everywhere as I slammed into her with such vigour that the bed rocked back and forth across the wooden floor, hands grasping my sides, clawing down my back, gripping my ass as she met me thrust for thrust, challenging me as she always did, but there was a darkness in the way we were fucking, and that's what it was, _fucking,_ pure animalistic sex, the kind that takes over the mind and drowns out every thought and feeling, the kind she had given to me when my squad had died, the kind she needed now more than ever.

_Feeling can come later, right now she wants to forget._

Angling her hips, Aurora began to keen louder as her walls began to clamp down and using the new angle I drove deeper and harder, feeling my own peak surging forward like a battering ram.

Grasping her hips, I lifted her further off the bed, melding our bodies into one as our tongues clashed together and her moaning grew louder and more desperate when suddenly her walls completed shut down in a vice-like grip on my staff and groaning deeply, I exploded inside her with wild thrusts as her entire body shook and jerked, her nails digging into my ass hard enough to draw blood.

Riding the unbelievable high, I continued to rock back and forth sluggishly with my eyes locked on hers as the aftershocks of her orgasm fluttered around me, and staring back up at me, tears formed in the corners of her eyes before breaking free and rolling down her face as her chest began to heave with building sobs.

 _Curse you Rian, curse you for leaving her like this._..

Wrapping my arms around her, I rolled the us onto our sides, pulling myself free and held her tightly to my chest for what seemed like hours while she cried and I made a solemn vow that if I ever crossed paths with Reiner again, I would cut his bastard head off and lay it at her feet.

_I'd kill him, Bertolt, Annie, that bastard wall priest, I'd kill them all and offer them to her as justice..._

"I can't… stop... the anger... Levi...can't... stop... the pain.." Aurora panted in-between sobs, making my heart clench because I knew too well the pain and anger she was talking about, the pain and anger that took over everything, that never truly went away, that always lay bubbling beneath the surface and pulling her face up to look me in the eyes, I brought my forehead to hers to share in her pain.

"Then don't." I whispered, and her red-rimmed eyes widened, clearly expecting some soothing words like it won't last forever, but I promised I would never lie to her, and that would be the most damning lie of all, "Don't fight it. Don't pretend it isn't there. Don't hide from it. _Use_ it."

Staring back at me with her mouth parted slightly, I watched as her resolve harden and even though the tears fell when she brought her lips to mine again, they were set with a fierce will that could never be broken or tamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos and Comments guys!  
> its been a while since I wrote a NSFW chapter so if you need me I will be hiding away in the corner till the embarrassment wears off Again!


	31. The Nature of Titans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin finally awakes and learns of the truth behind Ragako village

ERWIN

Sunlight shone through the large iron wrought windows, casting the room in a deceivingly warm summer glow that added to the growing headache forming at the base of my skull, the pain of which was pulsating with my heartbeat but that was nothing compared to the phantom itch shooting down my arm and resonating in fingers that were no longer there.

I suppose I should be grateful the arm was the only thing I lost, others had lost far worse, and looking over to Levi as he sat in his chair opposite commander Pyxis, all of us awaiting on Hange at my request, I saw the faraway look in his eyes and his slightly swollen lips pulling into a grim frown. It was clear there was something on his mind, and as his hand came up to brush the side of his neck, I caught sight of fresh bruising in the shape of teeth and knew precisely where his head was.

_Aurora._

It was beyond regrettable what had befallen Rian, he was a skilful, dedicated soldier and his unique gifts would be a detrimental loss to the scouts but not as painful as it would have been had Aurora died in his place, after all, she was the stronger of the two, not just out in the field but in their abilities as well. Yes she was impulsive, insubordinate and harder to control but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing if channelled in the right direction, but it was more than that, had she died, not only would the scouts have lost her but we would have lost Levi as well and in one fell swoop, Humanity would have lost its greatest defenders.

_Their attachment has gone far beyond even what I had anticipated. I knew Levi would become attached, even believe himself in love, but this... this is real, and now she's in pain and he can't stop it._

I never had siblings, my mother died when I was young and my father... well that was another story entirely, and as such the idea of having a brother was alien to me never mind a twin with which I everything, I imagine the loss of that separation would be profound, debilitating even, and that didn't bode well for us. We needed Aurora, we needed her up and fighting. With Miche and Rian gone she was our only means of anticipating enemy movement, that and her relationship with Eren which had once been an ace for us was now a complication, especially after reading the reports.

_He transformed to save her, he was her only brother now, and after hearing about his outburst in the medical wing it was clear he was taking over the role of protector, if she wasn't up on her feet and fighting with us, he may lose motivation all together to stay by her side._

"How is Aurora doing?" I inquired, knowing I would at least get an honest answer from Levi and turning his cold gaze towards me, the Captain' Tched as a look of disapproval marred his usual expressionless face.

"Do you mean in her capacity as a soldier or as an actual human being?" Levi drawled as he leaned back in his seat, leg crossed over his knee, the image of passive aggression.

_As usual, he misses nothing._

"I deserved that." I smiled to myself, the itch in my phantom fingers tickling over missing nerves and lingering in my stump.

"She's not eating like she should, but she has stopped staring off into space," Levi sighed heavily, suddenly looking very weary which I guess he would be if my suspicions about the origins of those teeth marks were anything to go on, "Now she's angry, really fucking angry. Smashed up a few of my things in rage before I managed to stop her," Levi smiled darkly to himself, his hand brushing his neck again subconsciously, before rubbing the back of his head when a knock sounded at the door.

"Hange" Levi informed us as after tilting his head to the side to listen to the rapping on the wood, "Come in."

"Pardon the intrusion Erwin," Hange announced as she entered the room and spotting the seasoned Commander by the side of my bed, she straightened up and saluted before guiding a young scout whose face was ashed white into the room, "Commander Pyxis, glad we caught you. Er, this is, state your name-"

"Connie Springer, sir." The young cadet saluted, his eyes haunting to look at, "104th cadet Corps."

_Something is wrong here._

"Connie here is originally from Ragako", Hange explained with a sympathetic note, and my eyes zeroed in on the object in Connie's shaking hands as he took a step forward, my interest sufficiently peaked.

_Ragako village, the epicentre of this latest incursion, if the reports are accurate._

"Ah yes, where the invasion seems to have begun, correct." Pyxis hummed, mirroring my thoughts, as he sat forward in his seat with his old eyes fixed on the boy.

"Yes sir, in fact, he's corroborated a valuable piece of evidence in that regard. I think you will find his story supports our hypothesis. Soldier, if you would?" Hange premised before gesturing to Connie and stepping forward with what I had deduced was a portrait in his hands, Connie delivered a jaw-dropping truth that had my mind reeling with the implications.

"Come again?" Pyxis spluttered, his face paling as he processed the information, "You're saying the Titans responsible for this, were the _citizens_ of Ragako." 

_Titans **are** Humans..._

The revelation should have been soul-crushing, I should be feeling dismayed, or finding myself disillusioned, but that wasn't what I felt at hearing the words. Instead of a crisis of faith, I felt a burning need to know more, a need to follow this thread all the way back to the source and dare I say it, a grim satisfaction. 

_All this time... the answer has been right in front of us..._

"I see, so in actuality," I concluded, excitement beginning to buzz within me, "Titans are human beings."

_And if Titans are humans, that begs the questions, how do they reproduce if there are no humans left outside the walls?_

"Well, we don't have proof yet." Hange hesitated, but I could see from the look on her face that she knew this was the truth, and it wasn't sitting well with her.

"Great, perfect," Levi spat, disgust twisting his pale features, "I've spent all this time... all this energy... the things I've been carving through like carrion are people."

_He has killed humans before, and they weren't exactly trying to eat him. How is this any different?_

"We don't know for certain." Hange tried to comfort, but it was lost on deaf ears, and taking her leave with Connie and Pyxis, she closed the door as Levi moved to the window with a deep frown on his face. I should have asked him what was wrong, or perhaps showed some concern but my mind was too busy hoping to and fro with theories, plans, strategies, all of it, because if there was one thing I knew, it was that this was the truth and Grisha Yaeger and Rowan Sparhawke knew it too.

_It's all in that cellar, they have the answers, and once we retake wall Maria, I will finally learn the truth, I will finally be able to prove that my father-_

"Now what-" Levi interrupted my thoughts before he turned on me with revulsion, "Excuse me, what's with that smile?"

Catching myself, I forced the joy that I had been unknowingly displaying from my lips, knowing it would only serve to irk Levi more before turning to look at him, but no matter how much I tried to school my face in one of the expected remorse, I couldn't stop my eyes burning with the curiosity within.

"Oh, it's nothing." I whispered, my eyes turning to peer out the window as I plotted my path to Shiganshina, to the truth, "Just seems to me we've taken one more step towards the truth."

"One more step huh, at this pace we will run out of people before we actually reach it," Levi drawled, and I knew of who he meant when he said _people_ , "Not a good rate of return."

_I'd sacrifice it all and more just to know the truth, even if it tore me apart..._

"Everything comes at a price," I said determined to be unswayed by this latest setback, "One day we will get close enough to break through, the wall baring us from the truth will tumble."

* * *

ARMIN 

The news travelled through the barracks like wildfire, and despite the lack of evidence and the officers telling us that they had no concrete theories, the sombre feeling still hung in the air because even without the proof, we knew it to be true. Titans are human beings.

It all made a twisted kind of sense, the Titans physical appearance, the existence of Titan shifters, even what Aurora and Rian could do began to factor in because if Titans were humans it meant that we all had the potential to become them, we were all connected, however despite the shock of this newest revelation, it did nothing to distract from the grief that was still very much raw in us all.

"I allowed myself to be kidnapped," Eren lamented as he, Jean, Mikasa and me sat in the corridor overlooking the courtyard, digesting the information we had learned, "Because of me the scouts lost over half their veteran contingent, because of me Ri-" Eren broke off, unable to say his name, pain lacing his features, "... all in a single rescue attempt."

"There were no casualties on the way back though," I offered, knowing that even though this truth wouldn't bring Rian back, it would at least shine some light in the darkness, a light we all desperately needed, "The Titans completely ignored us, they were too fixated on Reiner and the others. Jean and I mulled it over while we were watching Aurora. Hear me out," I asked as I saw Eren's eyebrows draw together in confusion much like Jeans had the first time we had discussed this, "Suppose they acted that way because of _you_."

Reeling back, Eren stared at me slacked jawed before turning to look at Mikasa beside him for answers, but she too was sat staring at me like I had grown a second head, words at a loss.

"Just a thought of course, but as far as an explanation goes, that's about as good as we've got." Jean sighed before he moved to stand before Eren with a fierce determination, not unlike Aurora had when she had given her speech on unity, "I'm not saying I envy the position you're in, maybe all those people did die for nothing, that all depends on you. If you're really worth the sacrifice you better prove it, there is no time for second-guessing..." Jean trailed off as his eyes fell to the courtyard and following his gaze, I saw Aurora's vibrant hair catching fire in the sunlight as she passed through the arches below, gym bag over her shoulder with a vacant expression on her face.

"Your right," Eren agreed, his eyes following his sister as she disappeared from sight before they fell to his hardening fist, a fire igniting in his eyes, "I have to be decisive. If this is real... If I can control Titans. I have to plug up wall Maria, then make Reiner answer for what he has done. Rian died for me, they all died for me, I have to earn what he gave."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and bookmarks :D :D you guys are the best!


	32. The Price of Freedom

REINER 

The stiff breeze that blew off the sea whipped around my face, causing my eyes to sting as we watched the battleship become smaller and smaller as it sailed away across the horizon back to the homeland, Ymir with it. 

_Why does this feel wrong?_

"You did well in returning what was stolen," War chief Zeke commended Bertolt and I as we turned to climb down from the sea wall, "But now we must complete our mission and capture the coordinate for the good of the empire."

_I don't think I know what is good anymore..._

"Yes, war chief." I nodded vacantly, Ymir's letter to Historia lying heavy in my breast pocket as I thought about the debt I owed her for coming back for us when she could have fled with the Scouts.

Had Ymir not returned to aid us, we would have been devoured by the Titans besieging us, and if by some miracle we had survived, I fear our Titans would have been stripped from us in punishment for our failures. For reasons I still couldn't fully comprehend, Ymir had saved us, inciting a debt I would never be able to repay, and thanks to her selfless sacrifice we now had another chance to make it right, to bring home the Coordinate and bring glory to the empire.

_Easier said than done, of course, the Scouts now know what we are and Eren is the holder of the Coordinate. For all the people that power could have fallen to, he has to be by far the worst-_

"Are you saying a single soldier might pose a threat to me?" War Chief Zeke asked incredulously, drawing me back to the conversation at hand and frowning I turned to Bertolt for his response.

"Yes. Captain Levi is dangerous, he isn't called humanities strongest for nothing. I think it would be wise to eliminate him as soon as possible once it comes down to it." Bertolt advised quietly before his eyes flickered over to me, "and he's not the only one."

_No. Don't do it._

"What Bertolt means is-" I tried to interject knowing exactly who he was trying to throw to the wolves though why I did, I not could say. It proved fruitless however as the War Chief sent me a warning look that had my words catching in my throat.

"There are others, twins, just as capable of causing issues for us", Bertolt continued explaining as he fixed his gaze on the war chief, refusing to look at me and I felt my heart beginning to hammer in my chest.

"Go on." War chief Zeke encouraged, and red hair flashed in my mind's eye, knowing that this conversation would likely be the catalyst that led to her demise.

"I've seen the woman do things that shouldn't have been possible for a human, that, and they both can sense Titans before they are near which means planning an ambush or a surprise attack might be out of the question. We tried to bring at least the woman with us as we thought the empire would be very interested in them." Bertolt explained as he wrung his hands together, a shadow of fear and regret passing over his face, "Their names are Rian and Aurora Sparhawke."

_Rian offered him forgiveness... he offered to protect us, and he just signed his death warrant..._

"Well I'll be damned, that name actually survived." War chief Zeke laughed in disbelief as he brought his hand up to scratch his ear, "Of all the things... Your right Bertolt, the empire would be very interested in acquiring them. In fact, they could change everything for us."

_I knew they were important, the only question is_ **_why?_ **

"Why?" I asked, the need to know forcing the word out of my mouth and looking at me with an amused expression, the War chief smiled.

"Because there is power in their blood."

* * *

AURORA 

"I can go in with you if you want?" Hange offered as we walked down the narrow corridor to Commander Erwin's quarters because apparently, I couldn't even do that on my own and sending her a scathing look, I watched as she held her hands up in surrender though I could tell she was far from it, "I'm just saying, the last time you spoke to him you shouted at him and all but accused him of leaving his men to die."

"They did die." I drawled, my nose scrunching slightly in irritation, more so by the fact I was here by Erwin's summons as opposed to Hange's mother hening, I knew she meant well, and she had saved my life, for which I was more than grateful.

 _Grateful because now I have the chance to take my blade and drive it through Reiner's heart_.

" _Aurora_." Hange sighed, clearly frustrated with my response though what she expected I didn't know, I wasn't exactly lying. Erwin had stalled because he was using time and resources to discover information, and vital or not, it had cost lives.

_I don't even care that the information concerns me, I would gladly forgo it if it meant we got even one of the people we lost back._

_"Zoe_." I mimicked her tone, but after seeing the worried look in her eyes I sighed heavily before placing my hand on her shoulder, "I promise I won't take his throat out if that makes you feel better."

"Oddly enough it doesn't" Hange smiled sadly as we came to a stop outside of the commander's room and flashing her my best attempt at what was supposed to be a smile I rapped on the door and waited as she continued on down the corridor.

"Come in." Erwin's voice called from inside and entering the room before closing the door, I let my eyes roam lazily around the clean, bright room before resting them on Erwin who was sat at his desk, his usual freshly shaven face boasting a scruff hold of stubble, dark circles also lay prominent beneath his clear blue eyes and he had one less arm than he had before.

_He looks like I feel._

"You look like shit", I stated as I walked over to him and saluted making a smile pulled at his lips that only seemed to irk me.

"Yes." Erwin laughed softly as he cupped his fuzzy jaw with his only hand, "I haven't quite mastered the art of shaving with one hand, but I'm sure with time I can accommodate."

Gesturing to the seat in front of his desk, I dropped out of my salute and sat down as he eyed me critically, assessing my every move and twitch as a heavy, uncomfortable silence fell between us.

_Just spit it out already!_

"How are you feeling?" he asked suddenly and raising my eyebrow at him at the ridiculousness of his question, Erwin averted his gaze with a light blush , "Sorry, stupid question."

_Very, especially since I know he isn't actually interested, so why bother with the false pleasantries?_

"You wanted to see me." I drawled wanting to speed this along so I get back to the gym, I had to be strong, I had to be ready, any moment those bastards could try for the walls again to take Eren and I had to be at my best if I was to stop them.

_I can't let them take him too... I won't let them..._

"Yes." Erwin began, his eyes meeting mine again with calculation, "Now that your back on your feet, I'm promoting you to the rank of Lieutenant and to second in command in the newly formed Levi squad. From now on you will assist Levi and should for whatever reason he be unfit to lead, the chain of command falls to you."

My lips parted as I sat back in the chair, shock flushing my system. Did he really just promote me? Right now? After all that had happened? After all we had _lost_? His arm had departed him, but it appeared his senses had as well because I distinctly remember him saying how ill-suited I was for high level commanded, how _Rian_ was the one to lead, how he would be commander one day.

_Doesn't he care that he lost the man he claimed would one day replace him?_

The anger that was a new constant beneath my surface reared its ugly head because I knew damn well why he was promoting me to that position, it was to protect Eren. That in itself wasn't the problem, what was, however, was the fact that my brother who was left to rot out on that godforsaken field by everyone including me and had barely been dead a month, was the one who should be standing here accepting this position, he should be the one seconding Levi's unit, and instead, it was being passed to me because, how was it Erwin had put it again? Oh Yeah, _I don't waste resources._

_It's all pieces on a board for him, isn't it? Moving people from square to square in some intricate game of cat and mouse, sacrificing each pawn along the way to achieve the ultimate goal._

"Is something wrong?" Erwin asked puzzled and meeting his gaze with barely concealed anger, understanding dawned on his face, and he tried a different tact, "What happened to Ri-"

"Is this the price Erwin?" I interjected, not wanting to hear my brother's name, not from his lips.

_It's like a game of garrison roulette, blindfolds on and take a wild shot to see who next must be offered in the name of freedom and it was getting tiresome very fucking fast._

"I don't-"

"Is this the price we pay for our freedom?" I emphasised, wanting to hear the epic speech that was sure to come in an attempt to convince me that all of this was worth it for freedom, that it all meant _something_ , "Is all this death really just a means to an end? Is it _worth_ it?"

"Yes", Erwin stated gently, and I stared at him open-mouthed at the candour and audacity of his single worded answer.

_My brother died ... countless men died... for you to just say_ **_yes._ **

"That's it?" I challenged, curiosity fucking peaked, "Just yes? No speech on victory, or heroic sacrifice? No, we are going to make it count?"

"I don't know what it is you want me to say Aurora," Erwin answered honestly, and I found myself scoffing because he didn't, did he? He honestly didn't know what to say because he wasn't dying inside like the rest of us, he was playing the game to win and he was _content_ with the stakes because to him the ends justified the means and suddenly it all clicked into place as I stared in his apathetic eyes.

_This wasn't about Humanities survival at all. This was all about Erwin's ambition._

"Oh that's it, isn't it?" I laughed darkly as it began to make sense, "This isn't about freedom at all, is it? This is about _you._ "

_How did I not see it before, how could I have been so blind?_

"You think yourself separate don't you? That all the chaos and pain is beneath you. You probably have a code that stops you from dwelling on it too much. Hell, I bet you tell yourself that you know better than everyone else. That you know what's _best_ ," I sneered with a morsel of satisfaction when Erwin's eyes widened as continued to lay his soul bare before him, "You probably think that makes up for the horrors because they are all for ' _the greater good_ ', but they are not, they are just horrors, and they will _never_ go away." 

_I could live a thousand years and I will never be able to forgot the look of acceptance on **his** face when he realised he was going to die. I will never be able to forget the sound of his body being crushed under the weight of that Titan. I will never be able to forget the smell of his blood as it splashed against my face. I will never be able to forget ..._

Leaning forward, I made sure he was looking in my eyes as I showed him the rage within, the burning that was consuming my soul with every breath I took without my brother beside me, the rage that with the unnatural feeling of being born together but dying apart, the rage that came with watching the people I loved being systematically eradicated till next to none remain. 

_Take a good hard look Erwin, take a look at the price of ' **freedom'**._

"You don't realise it, but your body is on fire and _burning_ because of the things you've done." I whispered, and Erwin's eyes took on a glossy sheen as his face became as hard as a stone, "You'll understand one day, suddenly it will sink it, and you'll realise for the first time that it was all for _nothing_."

Holding his gaze for a little longer in complete silence, I let him feel the full impact of my words before pushing up from the chair and making for the door.

"Commander." I saluted in parting before reaching for the door handle when Erwin's voice broke the silence.

"Lieutenant," Erwin's said dismissively, having the final word and suddenly I felt an overwhelming urge to _hit_ something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments Kudos, Comments and subscriptions!   
> We are almost at the end of the second book and I cannot wait for it all to really ramp up :D:D:D


	33. King moves to take Knight

Mitras, Capital of the Walls, Royal Palace, year 850 

The room was lit in an array of colours as light shone through the stain glass windows, illuminating the men of power as they sat at the long table and discussed their dark tidings.

"The Citizens of Rose have begun to return to the Region your holiness, now that Wall Rose had been officially declared secure." The wall priest, head of his order, announced as he read from a missive with a haunted tone that all men of his profession appeared to possess.

"Good." the dark-haired man hummed from the head of the table, his bright blue eyes calculating, "What damage has the emergency provisions taken as a result of this latest breach?"

"State provisions are next to none existent, your majesty. If another wall is breached, we have less than a few days of rations to feed the populace, but I fear this will all be a moot point come winter as it looks like another food shortage is inevitable." The treasurer fretted as he placed documents on the table supporting his assessment, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow as the sinister man in the white banned bowler hat rocked back and forth on his chair, his long legs spread in comfort, with a wicked grin.

"Hungry mouths breed violence." The bowler hat drawled, "I would know."

"And we don't have the means of pacifying the masses like we once had." The dark-haired man agreed as he leaned forward to rest his hands on the table and made a decision, "Open up the royal reserves and share what we can afford amongst the people. Until the vessel is retrieved, we must do all we can to keep the people content, we cannot allow their hunger to turn into anger."

"It will be done, your majesty." The wall priest inclined his head before shuffling his papers with a grim smile, "Now on to some more beneficial news. The abomination Rian Sparhawke is dead, he was killed while out beyond wall Rose retrieving the vessel from the Armoured and Colossal Vessels."

"That _is_ good news" The dark-haired man smiled broadly before a shadow of apprehension flickered across his rounded face, "but what of the other? What of the woman?"

"Alive and well, and if the rumours are to be believed, recently promoted to Lieutenant of the Scouting elite squad." The wall priest paused, reluctant to continue on and ruin his liege's good news but he had no choice, "That's not all I'm afraid your holiness, according to my sources she is also rumoured to be bedding humanities strongest, Captain Levi of the scouts. The barracks is a run with the gossip of their _sanctioned_ liaison."

"That's going to be a problem." the dark-haired man sighed in frustration, his fingers coming to pinch his nose at the threat that particular piece of information presented, " A _big_ problem."

"How much of a problem could one little bitch be, regardless of what blood runs in her veins?" The bowler hat chimed in, ceasing his rocking, and turning him to with irritation the dark-haired man sent him a scathing look because if the bowler man had done his job in the first place then this wouldn't even be an issue.

"You have no idea of what you're talking about, none at all!" the dark-haired man snapped, his face flushing red as his temper began to rise, "If that _whore_ is spreading her legs then it's only a matter of time before she starts breeding and that absolutely cannot be allowed to happen. On top of that, thanks to _heroic_ effort in the reclamation of Trost, she is an icon for the people of Rose and now she is now holding a position of notable rank within the very organisation that has learned about the secrets of the wall from one within the order, an organisation that now has knowledge pertaining to the Titans themselves as well as the vessel within their grasp and you sit there and dare ask how much of a problem could one little bitch be?!"

Shoving back from the table, the dark-haired man rose to his feet and began pacing the room, the multi-faceted light catching the silver of his waistcoat. Everything he had worked towards was falling apart, and it was all because of some red-haired brat that simply refused to die when she ought to.

"This is all beginning to spiral out of control!" the dark-haired man raged, a hint of fear underlying his raised voice, a hint of fear that was not missed on the man with the white banned bowler hat, "How long before the scouts learn the truth of the Titans?! How long before they learn the truth of the Sparhawke blood and turn it against us?! You assured me that this was all under control, that it would be taken care of, that it _had_ been taken care of when you dealt with her father and mother all those years ago. Have I put my faith in the wrong man Ackerman?"

"Oh, don't get your royal panties in a wad." the bowler hat scoffed, a grin splitting his lined face in a way that had every man in the room shivering with dread, "I have a plan."

"And does this plan of yours involve retrieving the vessel _and_ the inheritor?" the wall priest asked dubiously, after all, he had sent men to deal with the Sparhawke problem himself, and it had not worked in their favour.

"Yep." the bowler hat drawled as he leaned back in his chair and put his long legs up on the table, the picture of nonchalance, "We will order the MPs to summon them to the capital, the Sparhawke Bitch too, and take them all along the way. The Scouts won't be able to refuse an order from the interior and by the time any fuss is kicked up about their missing prizes your inheritor will have done her job, and all of this will be nothing more than a bad memory… well, for us at least."

"And what if the Scouts decide to interfere with your plan?" the dark-haired man inquired, his eyes now alight an eagerness to believe it would be that easy, "What if Erwin and his loyal band of followers refuse to go along?"

"Erwin isn't exactly in a commanding position; and if he proves to be a problem, we take him out of the equation." The bowler hat drawled as he shrugged his shoulders, "It's that simple."

"And the others?" the treasury pressed, not entirely convinced by the Rippers plan of action, after all the Scouts weren't just a rabble of peasants, they were an organised force with multiple advantages, "Captain Levi for example?"

"Don't you worry about him, I know that runt like the back of my hand and as for his piece of ass," the bowler hat smiled again, the prospect of the challenge lightening up his ageing face, "Let's just say I'm excited to see what all the hype is about."

"As long as she dies, I don't care how you do it." The dark-haired man proclaimed as he took his seat once again, his anger placated now that a plan of action was in motion, "Power must be restored to its rightful place, order must be brought to the chaos."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 200 collective kudos! Thank you guys!


	34. Epilogue- Rise of the Warrior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://youtu.be/n6z8Iuzd68A  
> I would recommend listening to this song will reading this chapter :D

AURORA 

The room was deathly silent despite being filled with both Hange's soldiers and the newly formed Levi squad as I read the missive that Commander Erwin had received this morning and my blood _boiled_ as my eyes passed over the sheer brazen cowardice etched in the ink.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I snarled as I reread the missive with shaking hands, "Can they do this?! Is this really happening?!"

"Sadly, yes." Hange sighed as she took the missive from my hands, her face drawn with worry, "We've been summoned to the interior or more specifically, you, Eren and Historia have been summoned."

_Why?!_

"This is absolute bullshit!" Jean stormed by my side as he channelled my anger into his own, "They can't do that! They haven't done anything wrong!"

_That's where you wrong Jean, I did do something wrong. I dared to be born._

Levi had told me about Jannick Becker's story regarding my family this very morning, having decided I was now ready to hear it which wasn't exactly his choice to make, but disregarding the misguided attempt to spare my fragile state of mind, the information had come as a surprise because not only was I contending with the order of the walls, I was now contending with the Military Police, or more specifically, the _interior_ Police and as such the moment my eyes moved over the scrawl on the _fucking_ missive, I knew exactly what was happening.

_Whoever is behind my family's persecution, the secrets of the walls and my attempted assassination is finally coming out of the shadows to play._

"This isn't an official summons by the Military Police per se," Hange explained as she neatly folded up the missive and placed it inside her jacket pocket, "It's a summons disguised as an invitation from the interior to make it look like it isn't what it really is." 

_Cowards! Fucking yellow bellied, rat bastard cowards!_

"A trap", I stated as my eyes met Eren's, Armin' and Mikasa's and saw the anger burning brightly in them as they realised what was happening.

"Erwin believes so." Levi drawled, his eyes fixed on me as he watched my fists clench at my sides because as Jean had said, this was such fucking _bullshit._

"Why do they want them?" Moblit inquired, his face drawn in confusion as his eyes darted between Eren, Historia and me, "I thought we were all on the same side here."

_No, because we wouldn't be human would we if we weren't turning on each other at the first given opportunity, right?! Why couldn't I just be left in peace to kill Titans?! It's not like they have many signing up for the fucking job!_

"It appears that isn't the case." Hange speculated, her finger coming up to tap her chin, "If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say our digging had caused a bit of an uproar in the interior, and they don't want us learning more."

 _What could we possibly learn that would warrant all of this?! We have the literal harbingers of death hiding out beyond the walls waiting to drive us all to extinction, and this is what the interior decides to do instead_?

"So, what do we do?" Eren asked hesitantly, the idea of handing himself over probably sitting as well with him as it was with me, "Do we go?"

_Do we fuck! If they want us, then they are going to have to take us by force!_

"No." Levi ordered as he pushed to his feet with a hard look in his eyes before gesturing to his new Elite squad or rather _our_ new elite squad, "All of you go back to your rooms and pack, don't tell anyone what you're doing, or what we have discussed, the rest of you are to follow Hange to Trost. We leave at sundown. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." The scouts answer in unison and meeting my lover's eyes, I nodded before taking my leave and heading back to our quarters to pack what we would need when a voice called out for me making me stop dead in my tracks.

_Please don't... I don't want to look at you... not so soon after..._

"Aurora!" Nifa called out to me and taking a deep breath, I braced myself for the pain that came whenever I looked into her eyes, knowing that she was another piece that my brother had unwillingly left behind.

Catching up to me, Nifa threw her arms around me, causing my entire body to stiffen as I fought back my tears until finally my body relented and my arms came up of their own accord and hugged her back.

_Please stop..._

"They can't have you!" Nifa swore as she stepped back with a look of absolute determination that had my chest tightening, "We're going to fight this."

"I never had a doubt." I smiled weakly, my voice barely above a whisper as I met her warm doe eyes that were lined with red showing she had recently been crying and I knew I had to say something, _anything_ to try and make it right.

"Nifa I-"

"He loved you so much, you know." Nifa said hastily as her eyes began to glisten and reaching out, she took my hand in hers and gave it a hard squeeze, "We're going to make them pay. We are going to make them sorry."

_Yes. Yes, we will. Even if it's the last thing I do._

"He liked you so much." I lamented, the tears finally rolling from my eyes as I showed my gratitude for the shy smile that had graced Rian's face whenever she had been near, "When he was with you, he was happy, I could tell... Thank you for giving that to him."

Pulling in a shuddering breath, Nifa's hand clutched at her chest as she looked at me with absolute heartbreak that had me wishing I had kept my damn mouth shut.

_Stupid! So fucking stupid!_

"That's the part I can't seem to get over," Nifa smiled sadly through her tears as she backed away down the corridor that was quickly filling with Hange's scouts, "I wasn't in love with him... but I could have been."

The air was forced out of my lungs as I watched her walk away, her head hung lowly with the pain of all that could have been, all that _should_ have been and stumbling back, I turned and ran with everything I had back to my room before slamming the door shut behind me.

_I wasn't in love with him... but I could have been..._

Screaming in blind rage, I began to pace the room with my hands tearing at my hair, desperate to feel anything other than the crushing grief but it was no use, it was everywhere, it was in their eyes, it was in their faces, it was in the corridors, it was everywhere he wasn't, it was in _me_.

_I wasn't in love with him... but I could have been... I wasn't in love with him … but I could have been... I wasn't in-_

Storming past the mirror that Levi had replaced as sobs broke from my chest, I caught sight of my wild red hair and froze as I took in my chaotic appearance and moving towards the reflective surface without thinking, I gazed at the pale, haunted face staring back at me with horror. 

_I look like a ghost..._

I barely recognised the empty shell of a girl staring through the glass, and that's what she was, a _girl_. A girl with mismatched grey and green eyes that held enough pain and torment for a million lifetimes, a girl with scars on her face that were nothing compared to the gaping wounds inside, a girl who had ridiculous long red hair that had no place in her life as a soldier, a girl whose red hair belonged to her brother, to her father, to her grandfather and all those who came before her. A girl who was ready to die so that another could take her place.

 _You have a choice to make… kill the girl and become the warrior.._.

The longer I stared, the more that chilling face in the mirror began to morph into the faces of my ancestors, they eyes full of anger, as the drumming of my heart, which sounded like the drumming of the spears in my dreams, flooded my ears and reaching down for Levi's scissors that had been so perfectly placed, I shakily grabbed a fistful of my hair with images flashing behind my eyes.

_The colossal Titan's head peering down from above the outer gate of Shiganshina..._

'snip'

_The chunks of wall that fell from the sky, crushing those unable to flee..._

'snip'

_The smoke rising as the sounds of my people being devoured rang through the air..._

'snip'

_Red staining the cobbled street as my grandfather lay dying..._

'Snip'

_Eren's cries as Carla's blood rained down from above..._

'snip'

_Standing in line, sun blaring as the commandant screamed his orders..._

'snip'

_Rian beating his hands against the wall, Uncle Alert's name a cry on his lips..._

'snip'

_My blades sinking deep in the nape of my first Titan kill, euphoria rushing through my veins..._

'Snip'

_Levi's lips on mine, back pressed against the stable walls..._

_'_ Snip'

_Standing on Wall Rose, staring down at the burning city of Trost, blades ready to take back what was ours..._

'Snip'

On and on the images of everything that has lead to this very moment burned as hair fell into the basin, the red clumps a stark contrast to the white porcelain beneath until all that remained was a final piece, much longer than the rest, and bringing the scissors up for that final cut, I closed my eyes, picturing my brother's face as he smiled down at me and placed our grandfather's ring on my thumb, and sobbing with his face bright in my mind, I pressed the handles together.

_I'm sorry Rian, I failed you…_

Opening my eyes, I met my reflection again as a _warrior_ with the wild, chin-length red hair stared back, and I knew I had made my choice.

_I will not fail again._

Hearing the floorboards creak, I turn toward the noise and seeing Levi standing their, I knew he had seen everything. Unashamed, I met his slightly widened eyes and saw understanding dawn on his face before his spine straighten and pride shone from his eyes. 

_No more pretending... no more hiding..._

The interior was content to let us all burn if it meant they got to keep their secrets, to keep their _power_ , and as such, they were no better than the monsters who had destroyed our home. By sending that missive, they had sealed their own fate, by sending that missive that had brought wrath upon themselves. If they wanted a war so badly they would have one, I had chosen my side.

_They want the world to burn, fine, but first let's start with them._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos guys! I can't believe were at the end of the second book!


	35. Sequel announcement and Fun facts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel announcement and Fun facts

A massive thank you to all who read The Fight for Mankind, I hope you enjoyed it and are excited for the sequel - The Warriors of the Walls- As I have mentioned before, I am now a student and though that doesn't mean I'm giving up on this series, it does mean that updates may be slower. Sorry :(

Just as last time to help, here are a few more fun facts to tie over til the first chapter of the Warriors of the Walls :3

From the onset Rian was supposed to die, but unlike in the story, he was originally going to die in stohess and his death would have spurred Eren on, however by the time that came around I didnt feel like Rian dying there would have done his character justice, so redraw and the fight for Eren was decided, to bring a more fitting end to one of my favourite OCs I've thought of. (Love You Rian!)

Aurora and Rian are what you would call a post-mortem birth, their mother was dead as a door nail when their grandfather delivered them by C-section but because she was recently deceased, they still lay alive in her womb.

Aurora is much more durable than the average human, as to why that is (If you haven't already guessed) will be revealed in Warrior of the Walls. 

Nifa and Rian weren't in love, after all they were only just starting out in their relationship unlike Aurora and Levi who had two and a half years to figure it out. This makes it harder for me because I do think, like Nifa said, they would have fallen in love and been very happy together. 

The time line used for book two was extended by a few weeks as even though I know this is where the Manga and Anime picks up pace, I didn't feel I could just brush over Rian's death. 

If anyone is wondering, the lights that Aurora sees in her fever delirium is the sames lights Ymir sees once she turns human again. 


End file.
